


Batman's disappearance

by truc



Series: Obsession [4]
Category: Batman (Comics), Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons), Justice League - All Media Types, Justice League of America (Comics)
Genre: Batman disappears, F/M, Gen, Lies, M/M, Many Deaths, Mysteries, traumatic events
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-08
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2018-10-16 07:36:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 33
Words: 38,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10566636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/truc/pseuds/truc
Summary: Batman has not appeared in public in the past three years. The Justice League is worried, to say the least. Is Batman seeking revenge? Or is he cruising a mermaid in Antarctica, as Green Arrow and Hal Jordan have (drunkenly) predicted? Worse, could he be dead? Nobody can quite believe he is dead. The League has restarted a search for him, beginning with the events that may have led him to disappear.





	1. Hal Jordan-Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This work takes place a bit more than three years after the last one in the Obsession series. There is no need to read the previous works to understand this work. It is in the same universe with the same characters and the same recurring themes.
> 
> The characters of the Justice League were chosen because of personal preference.

"Hey you, where do you want it?", I ask politely to the idiot currently crushing my foot.

"Eh?", he answers confused.

"His punch, he meant", clarifies Ollie while letting an exasperated sigh before continuing with : "Here we go again!"

We can't even go drink a beer quietly in a bar without starting a fight with the meanest, stupidest brute in the place. Ok, we might not have chosen the quietest tavern in a remote town. Maybe we shouldn't have went to Gotham for a drink. Still, it should not be an automatic consent for harassment. It even seems like those kind of taverns were multiplying themselves, trying to win the award of the worst bars in the world. Well, Gotham is still the most crime prone town in the States and it can give the title of the worst in the world a good run for its money. 

Ah, I just punched him in the face. Another fight to go. I must admit, a beer always tastes better after a bit of activity. 

"Guys, I could take a drink with you if you have finish picking up fights for this evening", a girl dressed as a magician proposes to Ollie and me. Wait, she is a magician (ok, we started drinking before coming to the bar, which in hindsight, might have been a mistake). It took me two seconds longer than usual to figure out Zatanna had walked up to Ollie while we were cleaning up the place.

"Good idea Zatanna, it might force Hal to stop looking for a fight. We already did three bars", explains Ollie.

"Hey, they were the ones looking for it! I just want a cold beer", I yell back forcefully. 

"Yup. But I might have noticed you walking accidentally on the feet of the biggest guys that you could find in all the taverns we've been to", replies Ollie in an even tone.

After a bit of back and forth, we decided we should all go to a quiet pub and drink beers. After a bit of walking, Zatanna leads us to a small tavern, neat and quiet where we can get some privacy. We sat and ordered drinks. I was still complaining about Ollie's previous statement about my tendency to look for a fight.

"Guys, could we talk of something else than Hal's macho tendency to look for trouble?", Zatanna asks, smiling despite herself.

"Sure", answers Ollie, "what do you have in mind?"

Zatanna's face grows pensive and she leans forward. 

"It has been three years since he disappeared", she continues quietly.

At those words, I understood why Zatanna was wandering in a disgusting tavern in Gotham tonight. My mind worked a bit slower when drunk, but those words forced me to become more sober than I was comfortable with the turn of the conversation. Zatanna was a childhood friend of Batman, before he was Batman. Don't ask me how she could stand that jerk that long. 

As for me, anniversaries tended to be forgotten. It certainly did not feel like three years had gone by. I can still hear him say as if it was only yesterday : "Jordan, we would have finished our mission several hours ago and with less damage if you had not decided we no longer had to wait for the signal. There are reasons you are not in charge of the planning. Can't your ring translate simple English to you?"

"What do you think happened to him?", pursues Zatanna, dragging me away from my thoughts.

Ollie and I looked at one another. To be honest, when we are very drunk, we manage to have our weirdest theories and Batman did come up several times during the last three years (not that he wasn't part of our theories before his disappearance, since he is too weird to not have any strange theories about him). Nonetheless, neither Ollie nor I could tell Zatanna we believed he ran away with a mermaid (who might not be Aquaman's girlfriend) to Antarctica to have fishes. In a way, that would be probably much more pleasant than whatever he had been doing.

Superman, who knew him better, once told me about the time Batman had lost Robin to Joker. According to him, Batman took others' death very badly. Well, emotional stability was never his strong suit. 

Ollie was better prepared than me (or smarter, though I did not say that) to respond to Zatanna. 

"He is probably working for the perfect revenge on the villain who ruined his life. If I had been in his shoes, I would do everything in my power to make the hateful person suffer as much as I have suffered. It would take lots of planning. He might just be slowly torturing the one who did this to him".

He had drank a lot, but I could sense he was profoundly serious. I sincerely hope nobody would ever push him that far, since he might do the irremediable and then, with who would I drink? Without Ollie's contribution and mine, this League was seriously lacking a sense of humor. They would have to buy it. 

Zatanna turns expectantly to me.

"He might be restarting his life without the hero part?", I answer unconvincingly.

Ollie and Zatanna respond with a flat "no" at the same time. Well, S'xcuse me for not thinking at all like him. Hey, at least I enjoy life more than him.

"And you, Zatanna, you think he is doing what?", I ask to avoid getting angry at them.

Zatanna stares at her drink for a moment, lifts it up and swallows its content. 

"You know, Hal, I prefer your theory. That he is happy somewhere. That he is not in danger. The problem is I have known him too much to believe it. I feel he puts his life at risk all the time. I hope he doesn't act as he did after Jason's death... I do not want him to die". 

Zatanna starts crying. Ollie had told me there might have been something between her and Batman at one time. Maybe, but that is beside the point. Ollie and I will have to pick up the pieces of the puzzle he had left behind. We had to deal with the bereaved woman still trying to figured out if she was bereaved. And to think we had come to Gotham to relax. Something always happens!

Moreover, another gang lord is expanding in the underworld. One day, I should make a cleaning of the city. Difficult, unpleasant and surprising city. She is similar to you, Batman, this insane city.


	2. J'onn J'ozz-Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Justice league meet up to discuss the "Batman" situation.

On the third anniversary of Batman's disappearance, Kal-El had requested a last minute meeting to discuss the situation. 

Hal Jordan and Oliver Queen were less than enthusiast about a meeting today, though one could surmise the issue had less to do with the subject and more to do with the timing.

Diana Prince approved the meeting promptly. Atom also acquiesced to the last minute change of schedule, although he sounded guilty. He had missed most of the search for Batman three years ago as he had been stuck in another size-dimension at that time. Hawkman complained about the uselessness of the meeting, but Hawkgirl reported he will be attending even if she was giving him a cold shoulder. 

Diana had contacted me personally to ensure I also kept an eye on Kal-El. She explained she was hoping this meeting would at least act as a therapy session to help Kal-El move pass his pain. Finding Batman would be a bonus, since he normally could not be found until he wanted to be. Diana continued by talking about how Kal-El's behavior had not improved over the years. He would still let a pause when he finished explaining his plan. There was no Batman to interrupt or point out the obvious issues with said plan. I had been aware of that, nonetheless, I understood Diana's concerns were deeper. I had picked up on Kal-El's pensive pose and his wandering gaze. If anything, he had grown quiet and subdue. I could only hope Diana's idea would work.

Kal-El was the first one to arrive at the Watchtower, if you do not count me since I mostly live in the Watchtower. He was pacing in the meeting room. I offered him a tea and he thanked me while taking the cup. He settled down in his seat. Diana arrived a bit later with both Flash and Aquaman, whom she had convinced to come even though they were no longer part of the Justice League. Flash had decides to make more time for family and Aquaman had grown busier as King. Both had accepted the invitation to today's meeting because they had been part of the League during the incidents three years ago. 

Flash smiles uncertainly at me and starts a discussion with Aquaman. I am happy to see both after so long. Aquaman smiles once or twice in the conversation. Maybe Diana's plan may actually work out. Atom joins their conversation.

Hawkman and Hawkgirl walk through the room together. Has their break from one another finally come to an end?

Since her arrival, Diana has been discussing of Steve and Lois with Kal-El. He looks around the room more than once. 

Finally, several minutes late, Hal Jordan, Oliver Queen and Zatanna walk together in the room, all looking ragged, especially Zatanna who holds her head in her hand. As soon as the three of them sit, Kal-El rises and starts the meeting. He gently refreshs our minds to the events of three years ago. Nobody really needed a remainder, I thought as I look at their grim expressions. We also remember no culprit was found. 

Afterwards, we decide to tell about our last interaction with either Bruce or Batman, even if no one had thought their meeting had any clues. 

I start. When I visited Bruce to give him my condolences, the manor had been deadly quiet and he was in the batcave. I stayed thirty minutes silent and I put my hand on his shoulder. I told him that if he needed help, the League would always be there for him. Bruce turned slightly his head and I might have read a silent "thank you" on his lips. I did not mention the "thank you" to the rest of the League since it might have been my imagination. I sit down.

It is now Flash's turn. He had come to the manor dressed as a civilian. He had brought food his wife had cooked, since he remembered how terrible Batman was in the kitchen. He was worried Batman would starve himself to death. Flash remember blabbering for a while while Bruce had his tense back to him. Bruce cut short the nervous monologue by noting the food looked great and he would be happy to taste it. Flash, overjoyed, had given his condolences again and bidden him goodbye. It was only later he realized Bruce did not see the food. Flash hesitates and sits down when Diana gives him a small nod. 

Hawkman and Hawkgirl visited him together. Hawkgirl promised Bruce they would help him take his revenge if he wanted. After making that promise, both Hawkman and Hawkgirl had walked out. They could not be sure Batman had even heard them.

Green Arrow rises and he explains he went to see Batman with Black Canary to give their condolences. Bruce had not answered them anything. Black Canary gave him a hug and Bruce had escaped the embrace after a moment and was moving to another room. Green Arrow had gotten mad and told him he needed to stop his emotional constipation and do something about it. Green Arrow had slammed the door and Black Canary had given him a lesson for his bad behavior. Green Arrow stops his tale with a simple : "What, it is in a way very worrying seeing Batman do nothing. I only wanted to know he still had a fight in him. I did not see it. I have an headache", he says as he sits down. 

Zatanna gets to her feet and looks at us with red eyes. She tells us she went to see him. She made tea, sat in front of him and waited for him to speak. After almost half a day in silence, she finally had asked him if he wanted her to go. He had simply answered : "Why? I am not unhappy you are here, Zatanna". 

At that moment, the rest of the Justice League stare at Zatanna, surprise Batman had shown that much humanity. Even Green Arrow and Hal Jordan, previously more preoccupied by their headache than the discussion, look as if this was impossible. Diana rises and asks more questions to Zatanna. 

Zatanna continues her tale by narrating how she stayed in the manor until the end of the day. She prepared him a meal of which he barely ate. He did not tell her much more. She spoke about banal things. That night, when she was leaving, she had asked him whether he wanted her to come back the next day. Bruce had taken her hand in both of his and had murmured : "I think I will be ok tomorrow. Thank you for today, Zatanna". 

Zatanna sits in silent. The other Leaguers ask her some questions but she does not have more information to give us. Batman does not normally show much vulnerability and showing gratitude is truly rare of him.

Atom says he had been absent and Aquaman tells us he went to see Batman and found Bruce in the hall of the manor. He gave his condolences and that was it. The man did not seem to want anything else. 

Hal rises from his seat and starts talking. He had gone to see Batman with flowers. He had rang the doorbell and nobody answered. He was found that unsurprising and awkward. He had opened the door and wandered in the manor until he lost himself exploring the upstairs rooms. What! That house is big, he explains. Finally, he heard a small noise and he moved to the room in question. Bruce sat on a boy's bed and he had a photo in his hands. All the batfamily was in it : Batman, Batgirl, Orphan, Spoiler, Nightwing, Red Hood, Red Robin and Robin. Alfred was also in the picture. The dog and the cow were also in it. Batman looked truly happy in the picture. "I did not know he could look so happy", continues Hal with a slightly trembling voice. 

Hal took a short break to catch his voice. Batman had realized someone was behind him and now looked at him. Hal did not think Batman had heard him come in, so he dropped his flowers on the bed, had given his condolences and ran away. That was all. 

Hal sits with a sigh and Diana rises. 

She was the one taking care of the ceremonies and burials with Bruce's precises instructions. Diana pauses a second. Everything was to be private and everything was planned coldly. Bruce had not wanted to speak about anything else to Diana although she had tried numerous times. At the end, she had asked if he needed anything else and he told her she could go without locking the door. She had hesitated a bit, but she thought she would come back to talk about the situation in a week or so to see how Bruce's bereavement was going. He had disappeared before she ever came back.

Diana sits in her seat and we wait for Kal-El to rise. He does not. Diana tells him it is his turn. He answers : "I have nothing to say. I did not see Bruce before his disappearance".

There is a awkward silence in the room and Hal says Eh? I see Kal-El's cheeks turn red under all the attention. Everyone wait for the explanation.

"I did not know what to say. I never went, answers an ashamed Kal-El. I almost went everyday, but there was nothing I could say to him to make him better", he continues. "I feel bad I was not a good friend..."

The rest of the League look shock. Kal-El, Superman, Clark Kent, they all were reliable, honest and loyal to a fault. Why would he be lying?

Diana concludes the meeting. She promises we would continue the discussion about Batman later, although from most looks of the persons in the room, the discussion would have continued about Superman and his ability to keep it together. 

I feel uncertain. Something is very wrong here, more so than Kal-El's absence three years ago.

I prefer rational conclusions, yet I know there is a feeling of wrongness so strong even my rationality has to acknowledge it.


	3. Superman-Helpless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Superman explains what happened three years ago.

Diana is calling me on my comm. She will want to speak to me about what I revealed at the League's meeting. I do not want to answer my comm. I flee to the Fortress of Solitude, hoping I could forget how what had happened three years ago as easily as I could avoid Diana. How I had not been his friend in his time of need...

It had been another ordinary mission, not so different from any saving the world mission. Except it had been the mission that destroyed Batman. 

Batman had managed to plan a last-minute attack on several fronts in many cities at the same time. We all had our own particular mission and it was simple even with our spectacular fights. Only Batman was not needed for the fighting. He had to deactivated the villains' plan B. 

So, when,tired and ragged, Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, Hal Jordan, J'onn, Flash, Aquaman and myself had arrived at the Watchtower for the debriefing, we were perplexed by Batman's absence. In theory, he was the one with the "easy" mission, even if he loathed getting the easier job. I called him on his comm to see if everything was fine.

"Batman?"

I waited a moment. 

"Is there a problem?", answered a hard voice, after a longer than usual pause.

"No, we just finished all our tasks. Did you forget our normal mission debriefing?", I had replied, happy to hear his voice.

After an another long pause, he replied simply : "I am not coming. Do it without me".  
He hung up without further explanations.

"Ah!", said Hal, "there he goes again! He always pushes things to be his way! His plans, his idea of a immediate mission debriefing so we can all get yelled at by Batman because we are simply incompetent and reckless child! He is probably enjoying life on the beach while we worked our asses off to finish this and he does not even deign to give us his "wondrous" presence. That is it! This is the last straw!" 

"Hal, normally, I would never agree with you, but this time, I agree with you", approved Hawkgirl with a frown.

"Didn't Batman's voice sound strange?", had asked Diana.

"Stranger than normal? No, but I want this to have some consequences for him!", continued a Hal, getting angrier and angrier with every word he says.

"Silence!", screamed J'onn.

At those words, we shut up. J'onn never yells.

"What is it, J'onn?", I asked, cautious.

"Normally, I do not read your thoughts without your direct authorization, but I can feel strong emotions that surge through any of you. Batman's emotions are in disarray. I have never felt him in so much pain. I may never have felt anyone so pained and I did not go into his mind". 

Our faces were all blank for a second. Batman in more pain than ever? He ordinarily hides his terrible and withering wounds. Was he dying?

"Kal-El, you are the fastest, could you go see him?", J'onn asked me.

"On it", I said.

With my speed, I arrived in a second's time at Batman's supposed location. With my x-ray, I saw there are no immediate threats. I also saw Batman standing, no bone broken. I sighed with relief. It was much too early to be relieved.

"Batman?", I asked softly. 

He turned his head very slowly toward me and I saw a total lack of expression it is scary. He was focused, yet blank faced. 

"Batman?", I whispered again.

Suddenly, I noticed he was not the only body in the room. I saw them at his feet.

With great horror, I had recognized them laying side by side in a circle around Batman. Dick, Barbara, Stephanie, Cass, Jason, Tim, Damian, Selina and Alfred. All of them in costume, except Alfred, dressed as a butler. My stomach grew heavy with uneasiness. 

I checked them all. They are dead, all of them, with major wounds. 

During the time since Batman turned to me, he had observed all my movements with extraordinary focus, even for Batman. If someone had wanted to hurt Batman, they could not have chosen anyone better other than the nine bodies laying dead around him. 

I then noticed the blood on Batman's hands and I verified the DNA to make sure he was not the one who killed them, while brainwashed. He had not.

It was his blood and I see the marks on the wall as he probably desperately tried to dig through the wall without success. 

I cannot think of a single thing to say to him to make it seem better. 

The others arrived after I called them in. The six superheroes all looked at the nine bodies on the floor, the bloodied wall and, silent as a specter, Batman watching with great attention all our moves. I would have preferred him screaming, cursing and crying than to see him, only here by his concentration. 

"Who did this?", asked Hal.

Batman did not answer.

"Joker?", questioned Flash. I forgot Flash had always been traumatized by tales of Joker, how he was happy to mostly deal with saner villains than Batman's.

"No. I do not know who did it, but I will find them", said a toneless sounding Batman.

J'onn moved at that sound. I do not want to imagine how hard it is for J'onn to be telepathic at times like these. 

"What happened, Bruce?", said Diana gently.

Batman looked at us slowly and he started telling his story.

He had infiltrated without problem the place and had deactivated the bomb. He was on the point of coming give us an hand when someone shove him down, grabbed his utility belt, took out two comm units and threw them all on the other side of the room. He had been too fast for Batman to respond. Batman was crushed on the floor and could not move out of the position. The man was tall and dressed soberly, hiding under a mask and dark green clothing. The voice was high and the person was quite young.

"Congratulation Batman. You managed to make a last minute plan to save the world". 

Batman had glared back at him not giving him an answer.

"You don't want to speak to me? No matter. You played with the Gods for the last time. You forgot your true place in the world".

Batman tried taking out one of his hidden weapon. His hand was pushed ineffectively to the ground. Batman had tried another of his type of communication and it was ripped from his hands and thrown at the other end of the room. The man smiled at him. 

"I know how resourceful you can be so I also put a signal jammer on the building in case you managed to try another way of radioing help". 

The man put a indestructible glass on one side of Batman, cutting him from the rest of the room and left in a flash. Batman tried to find a way out without success. He had no idea what was the man's goal.

The man came back with Nightwing alive in his arms. He tortured and killed him before Batman's eyes. 

The man went again while Batman was trying to dig through the concrete wall. The man came back with Batgirl. He tortured and killed her before Batman's eyes. 

He did the same to the rest, one after the other, Batman pounding on the wall, negotiating, digging...

While Batman laid on the ground on the other side of the glass, exhausted, watching the dead, the man addressed him again.

"How does it feel to be truly helpless? To be on the side without the means to defends the ones you love the most in the world? You always lose them, don't you, even after all that training and discipline. There are some things your training cannot help. If any of the other superheroes in the League had been in your place, they could have saved at least one person. You could not even save your youngest child. You should really stop playing with the Gods and be content in being a simple human. I hope you have learned your lesson this time. If not, I could find other means to stop you. We wouldn't want that, wouldn't we?"

The man had given Batman an almost tender smile and had gently removed the glass stopping Batman from reaching the nine dead. Batman ran to check on them, not even hesitating in showing his back to the man. They were dead, all truly dead... 

The man watched him bending over the dead and said : "Well, time for me to go! Don't forget to behave!" 

Batman finished his tale in a monotone voice, as if it was a extremely boring League meeting. Silence awkwardly settled in. Nobody could find the words to say to him, no "it's a villain, it is not your fault!", no "don't believe him, without you, we would not have saved the world". I would have liked to say he was one of the best superheroes in the world, notwithstanding his lack of power, yet it truly wasn't the time or place for that speech. He had just lost the nine most important persons in his life because he had no power. 

I had many times felt helpless even with all my powers, but now I was wondering how Batman could manage to continue with how human he was. He normally made us forget how human and weak he could truly be. Now, it was impossible. Not with the nine cadavers waiting on the cold floor.

Diana gave Bruce an hug. He did not respond. She whispered to him we will bring them home, that he should try to sleep. I was certain he would have refused in a cutting tone. I was surprised when he moved out of the hug, looked at us one at a time and nodded. He refused offers of company and left us there. It was impossible not to discuss the situation.

Flash was horrified. He went to check on his family and friends and came back. Hal was feeling terribly sick while he was trying unsuccessfully to hide it. Hawkgirl preferred speaking of vengeance and Diana, ever the most practical, was speaking of funerals and announcing this incident to the hero community with warnings to be posted as soon as possible. J'onn drifted to his own tragedy and helplessness. 

I stayed silent. I noticed Batman had closed the eyes of each person on the floor. That's good, I thought stupidly, I would not have watched them with open eyes. At least now, they look peaceful. I knew them all, especially Dick and Alfred. Damian... I did not know too well, but he was too young. None of them should have died, yet it was twice as worst with him. I cried. 

After some discussion, we moved the nine bodies to the Wayne's manor, making sure to clean the blood and to make them presentable. I was not surprised neither Bruce nor Batman was in the manor nor in the cave. After a moment, we all went on our way to see our beloved family and friends, to forget how morbidly alone Bruce would be in the huge manor. To my knowledge, no one saw Batman after the incident. Bruce was in the manor for two weeks and I never went to see him. I could not. I was also crying for the dead and worrying what to say to Bruce. 

Bruce made sure the public had knowledge the yacht everyone (except Selina) was on sunk. There were all presumed dead. He retired from the public life and traveled around the world. The paparazzi managed to get photos of him for two years and a half. I think Bruce engineered the photos since I could never find him or any traces of him being there at the places the photos were supposedly taken. No photos were taken of him in the last six months. Before, the longest interval was three months. I am very worried. 

The world supposed Batman had died on the world saving mission. The League never told the truth, since everything was simpler this way. Moreover, each of us secretly hoped Batman came back to the League with his revenge accomplished. Some mentioned he might not want to be an hero anymore. They did not understand. It was part of his personality he could not deny. Bruce without Batman was very hard for me to imagine. I always wondered what he would do when he got too old to be a costumed hero. Now, I was not sure I would get that luxury again. Well, Bruce nor Batman made any "true" appearance for three years. 

In that time, the League changed. Flash and Aquaman retired, one to spend more time with his family, the other with his kingdom. 

Hal Jordan was grounded on Earth from the Corp for a few too many fights he had gotten with the Guardians. With this extra time, Hal was patrolling Gotham, even if many of Batman's villains had quit town when it was clear he was not coming back. Hal always made comments about anyone living in Gotham full time had to be insane. Nobody could entirely argue with the statement. 

Atom had joined the League and his expertise forced us to change our security system. Hawkman and Green Arrow also joined the Justice League. Hawkman is always trying to beat up Green Arrow for comments the other tend to make against him. 

On the personal front, Green Arrow married again Dinah. Lois is making sneaky (and not so sneaky) comments about settling in with me. Hawkman and Hawkgirl are on and off again. Hal and Carol broke up again.

I miss you Bruce.

I can't forget our roof conversations and our many verbal and physical fights. Sometimes, I try to discuss it with Diana but I see she looks at me with pity and then I stop. Your disappearance torments me. Why couldn't I have been there to help you? I wanted to help you. You could have come to me. 

Bruce, your stubbornness is sometimes unhealthy for you. You always had to prove you could manage alone. I am only asking to see you again. It is sad without you here.


	4. Wonder Woman-Unforgivable Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diana rounds some members of the Justice League to ask around about Batman.

I call Clark on his comm. He does not answer. 

"Diana?", I hear J'onn J'ozz asking.

"Yes, J'onn?", I reply.

"It seems we have a better understanding of why Kal-El is upset", he explains, "Your idea about this meeting being therapeutic was exact". 

"You think?", answers Ollie a bit sarcastically. 

The other Leaguers were already gone. 

"Before, we were asking ourselves if Batman was dead or mad or rogue. Now, we are all asking ourselves about Superman's problem. Batman no longer goes on missions. Superman does. I don't think this is much of an improvement", says Ollie.

"At least, it is easier to help Clark now, Ollie", I respond.

"Yeah. When I would be ready for grief therapy, I would know to call you", says Ollie.

"Oliver, now we know Kal-El is feeling badly about not seeing Batman before departing. If we can find Batman, Kal-El will have an easier time to say what he did not say. If we do not find Batman after numerous tries, Kal-El may be able to process his guilt easier", explains J'onn. 

"You make it sound so easy, J'onn. How do we even find Batman if nobody of the Justice League knows anything and all of his family is dead?", questioned Oliver.

"Jim Gordon. He may be able to give us an idea", I say.

Ollie looks at me and crosses his arms.

"Fine, shall we go now?", he asks.

The Watchtower sends us to Gotham. This takes me back to all those times Bruce would refuse to have the Justice League come in Gotham. How many times did he start a fight with Superman, Green Lantern or me? I chuckle as I remember the time I made him say "Uncle". He had deserved it. At least, I was happy I did not possess a weakness similar to Superman's Kryptonite. Bruce would have found and collected them after that night. 

We fly to the police headquarters where a batlight is still lying on the rooftop. J'onn calls Gordon up through telepathy. Within a few minutes, Jim Gordon opens the door and observes us standing on the roof. He walks closer to us, stops a few meters short of us and takes out his cigarette and lighter. 

"So, what do you want?", he asks us very casually.

"We are looking for Batman. Do you know where he could be?", I answer quietly.

The man takes his time lighting his cigarette and taking a puff before responding.

"Why are you looking for Batman now? He disappeared three years ago", Gordon says.

I look at J'onn, but Green Arrow answers.

"Things have changed a bit. It is not urgent, but knowing where he is now may solve another issue".

Gordon examines him.

"Do you think Batman went mad and became a villain?", he suggests.

We are all taken aback by the direction the conversation is going. He seems to notice.

"I always asked myself what I would do if Batman went crazy. Goodness, it is too easy to go insane living in Gotham. He probably came close to it too many times for my comfort", he says easily, as if talking about an insane superhero is a topic on the same level as the weather. 

"Do you think he went insane?", asks Green Arrow cautiously.

"Do I?" , he ponders. 

"I don't know", he answers himself. "He might have. To answer your previous question. I have not seen Batman since he came to announce my daughter's death".

I was feeling upset I did not associate the tragedy three years ago to James Gordon's situation. It had been Batman's tragedy. Now, I realize how much James Gordon had also lost.

"When was that?", asks Green Arrow. 

"The day you saved the world from that... you know, the robot-things taking over the world at London, Beijing, Paris, New York, Metropolis, Moscow and Tokyo", he explains calmly.

"I am sorry for your loss. Although we respect your need of privacy in your pain, is it possible to know what he told you?", asks gently J'onn. 

"He told me my daughter was dead by his fault. That she was Batgirl. That a villain killed her. That he would bring me the body to wherever I wanted. He asked if I wanted to told the world she was dead on a yacht without the body ever been found or if the police would investigate something that happened outside of America", enumerates Gordon. 

"Did he say anything else?", I ask.

"Yes. He said Batwoman would probably be one of the only superhero patrolling this city. He would no longer appear. All robins, old and new, had also been killed. Spoiler and Orphan were killed too. Catwoman was dead. He said "sorry Jim and thank you for everything. You may not think of me as a friend anymore, but I still do think as you as such". 

"That was all?", I say.

"Yes, that was all". 

Mr. Gordon takes another drag of his cigarette, enjoying its taste. 

"So, do you have an idea on how to find him?", Green Arrow asks.

Gordon looks at the night sky and walks closer to the ledge.

"Hum... You might want to see his villains". 

"His villains?", I ask, uncertain.

"Before, we called them Gotham's villains but since so many moved out of the city after his disappearance, we say his villains". 

"Do you know who we should find first? And why they might be useful?", pursues Green Arrow. 

"I do keep files on them as an old habit. Poison Ivy is getting traction somewhere in the Amazon forest. Riddler is in London. Joker is in Paris. He just got caught killing two dozen police officers. Bane is in Southern Africa. Freeze is hiding in Northern Canada. Penguin, Croc and Black Mask are all still in Gotham. As for its use, well, if Batman is out there somewhere, he is probably keeping an eye on all of them, especially the Joker. So you might want to ask him some questions before he escapes again", suggests Gordon.

"Thank you Mr. Gordon for all your help. It is an honor to finally meet you. I am sorry it was not in the best circumstances", says J'onn. 

"It was nothing", answers Gordon. 

As we are leaving and Gordon finishes his cigarette, I decide I have to ask him one final question.

"Did you forgive him, Mr. Gordon?", I ask.

He looks at me, throws his cigarette to the ground and crushes it out slowly.

"No". 

We leave the rooftop.


	5. Green Arrow-Unforgivable Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Green Arrow and J'onn search for Bane. Wonder Woman seeks Poison Ivy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why should everyone search for the mysterious Batman after three years of absence?  
> Comments are appreciated.

This was just my luck. Wonder Woman gets to run after the gorgeous half naked woman in the Amazon while J'onn and I question villainous organizations in South Africa to find the infamous, venom-induced muscular man. Yup. This was what I always wanted in life. Relaxing with our resident Martian while getting acquainted with the locals. Sounds perfect.

Except it is awful. I should have packed more arrows. For a reason or another, I managed to anger all the locals. Apparently, the criminal underworld does not like an hero looking for Bane in their territories, even if said hero is dashing and charming. I really should have gone with Diana, I think as I dodge another rock thrown by Monster K. Seriously, what kind of name is that? He may be tall, dark and angry, but he sure looks human to me. Okay, he does have some anger issues. Who doesn't after being in this business for so long?

"J'onn, now might be the right time!", I say.

Then, there is a silence. I backtrack slowly to the door leading to the empty warehouse. Monster K is resting peacefully on the floor. I gotta admit J'onn is still an asset to have with you. He is smart, competent, wise, and powerful. Unfortunately, he does not have a sense of humor.

"J'onn, do you think we should stop looking for Bane and head back to meet with Wonder Woman? It's been one week and we still haven't had one sighting or useful information on Bane". 

J'onn flows in from the wall. He looks at me and meditates on the answer. 

"I suspect we will not have to look around for him for long", he replies.

I turn to him with raised eyebrows. 

"We have angered much of the gangs in the region and he must have heard of the Green Arrow going around asking about his whereabouts". 

"What! That was the reason why you never questioned any of them? You thought nobody would give us the information we wanted and I was bait?", I ask incredulous.

J'onn seems (although it is difficult to know) amused by my question.

"You are an expert marksman. Was I wrong to believe you were also a good target?", J'onn asks a little too innocently for the experienced Leaguer he was.

I take back my comment about J'onn not having any sense of humor. I sigh aloud and sit down on a wooden crate lying around. Of course, the whole warehouse stinks of fish, ammunition and bad jokes. I really should spend more time with dates and less time with aliens. It erodes my sense of normality. 

So we sit down and wait in the almost empty warehouse until dark. I take the time to devout myself to research I have been avoiding doing for the last while. Wow, my branch of human resources have been doing a bum job in Metropolis. I should look into whether Lex has paid some of them off to disrupt my satellite company in Metropolis. What a jerk. 

I was suddenly grabbed from behind and held by something like a truck. The masked voice from said truck demanded why we were looking for him. J'onn tried to calm down Bane by saying we only wanted information and we would appreciate his help. Bane held me tighter and I was choking under his arms. Is there a way out of his choke hold? I spied my arrows at my feet. Bane had pushed them back out of my reach when he grabbed me. I look at J'onn with a raised eyebrow, what is plan B? I hope he understands. J'onn apparently catches that his attempts at negotiation does not bear the fruits we wanted. He attacks in his transparent form. Bane sends a fire grenade in his direction and readies a strange lighter. Fortunately, he only holds me with with one hand and with my lowered jaw, I am no longer choking. I hit him hard enough he lets me go momentarily and I distance myself from him. My bow appears in my hands and I look at truck that is Bane. He is on steroid, my tired mind concludes stupidly. Congrats, I think back. Bane takes out other grenades and raises his hand. 

"Wait", J'onn says, "we are really only looking for information. We do not care about the revolution you are planning".

I am shocked J'onn admits we do not care for a revolution in which hundreds if not thousands may die. 

"I do not believe I have any information for you", Bane replies cautiously.

"We are looking for Batman", J'onn explains.

Bane blinks under his mask. His hand holding the grenades lowers a bit. J'onn takes advantage of his hesitation. 

"Have you heard of Batman since his disappearance three years ago? That is the only information we are currently seeking from you", J'onn continues.

Bane looks at me before staring back at J'onn.

"Why are you looking for Batman now?", Bane responds.

Jim Gordon had also asked that question. Are they implying we should have looked for him before or are they trying to gauge why Batman is important now? I feel a bit of shame and guilt growing in my stomach. We were Batman's colleagues and we never bothered to look for him more than superficially. Even Bane, a villain, sounded genuinely concerned we never looked into our colleague's disappearance before now. That is a new low. 

"We are looking for him because he may be connected to another problem we are having", I answer as convincingly as I can manage.

Bane turns to me and studies my martial art form. He laughs a little in a husky voice.

"Why not?", he says, "So Batman may have gone rogue? If he did, I bet he is causing more problem than Joker". 

Again, this was the second person suggesting Batman may have become a villain, one to be reckoned with. Not an healthy thought.

"The last time I saw him was about forty days after his last sighting, the one with your League saving the world from robots three years ago".

J'onn focuses on Bane's storytelling. 

"Where was it?", I ask.

"In Pakistan. I was making a deal with the League of Shadow and we were exchanging some weapon shipment for some drugs. Talia was there. He arrived walking towards her. Her assassins went into place. She stopped them with a sign and strutted over to him. They talked and she punched him. They both left. I finished my exchange. I never saw him again".

"What did they say?", I question.

"Something about a son and an incineration without Talia's consent. She was mad". 

"Was he dressed as Batman?"

"No. He was dressed in black and his face was covered in a black clothe".

"How did you know it was him?"

Bane smiles at my question.

"He was my worthy rival for so long. Of course I know his appearance", he responds with an snort.

I look at J'onn and I see him nodding at me. It seems Bane was probably telling the truth. This still was not helping us much.

"Well, since I answered all your questions, I ask you leave my territories now. I will not attack you nor will I leave my members to attack you if you leave within an hour". 

"Thanks Bane for answering our questions. We are grateful for your cooperation", J'onn says.

"His cooperation", my ass, we forced his hand by terrorizing his territories and he still is a villain planning on bringing down a government. This meeting will leave a bad aftertaste. 

Bane turns and prepares to leave the warehouse. He stops and says if we find Batman, tell him to look for Bane. At that, Bane leaves us alone. 

I turn to J'onn. He seems pensive.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Batman probably came to mourn his son with Talia Al Ghul. The first forty days after a death are for mourning in Arabic culture. So is the black clothes". 

"Still, I say, this does not help us much. I doubt he stayed long with that crazy woman". 

J'onn regards me with attention. I think I hear him whisper "who knows with Batman?". True, who knows?


	6. Superman-Watching the World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Superman does some introspection. Zatanna gets coffee.

He hated it. His powerlessness. As Clark, he understood it was an act. As Superman and Kal El, it was unnatural, against nature. In his Solitary Fortress, he sat at the center of information for his Fortress and he was stuck by how difficult it was being a powerless Superman. It was harsh and troubling. He should have been used to it by now, used to arriving at the aftermaths of tragedies and catastrophes. With Bruce, it had been personal. A knife in his ribs, a feeling more devastating than any of Doomsday's attack. 

Superman knew Diana, Green Arrow and J'onn had been searching for Batman. He had heard the conversation with Gordon, had flinched when the inspector had told them he had not forgiven Batman for his daughter's death. Superman had heard Bane tell of Talia's and Bruce's meeting. Superman had felt relief and curiosity. 

Kal El had heard Diana meeting with Poison Ivy. Had heard Poison Ivy denying any meeting with Batman. He had heard her loneliness, her sadness Gotham was no longer her home, that she would no longer fight against Batman. She was alone in this world, fighting injustice in her own twisted way. She was a bit like him.

Although Clark felt relief and sadness, he knew his emotions were a lot more nuanced. He felt his guilt, his shame along with many other feelings. It was not Superman's nor Kal El's fault, it had been Clark's fault. Kal El was a lonely alien and he knew he should give love to be loved. Superman was a hero and a highly moral being. He would always be there for a friend in need. Clark... Clark had messed up real bad. He was the one who had been scared of meeting a devastated Bruce. He was the one who didn't want to fail. Both Kal El and Superman had accepted possible failure and moved on. Why was it so hard to be human?, Clark thought bitterly .

And Diana thought this would help him. It just dragged all of his feelings in the open. His ugly insecurities, his powerlessness. The League thought he was crazy or traumatized and he didn't want them to know how right they were. How would I hide all of it, Clark asked himself while banging his forehead on the console in front of him. 

Diana, Green Arrow and J'onn have met up again and have recounted their adventures. Joker will be next. Superman sat up and keyed in information about the Joker and the last incidents. There were always so ugly. Joker was an entity neither Superman nor Kal El could begin to comprehend. Clark could see the chaos in Joker was unchained emotions raging through the world. Sometimes, Superman worried Clark had too much insight on the Joker for him to be entirely sane.

*******

The coffeehouse was a quaint little place between a library and hardware store. The paint is faded and the windows are old. Strangely enough, the atmosphere was exactly what Zatanna wanted at this very moment. Quiet and isolated. She walked in the store and found the man at a lone table by the window. He was waving lazily at her. She sat in front of him and took him in. He was thin and tall. He was built like a willow tree over which someone had thrown clothes hazardously on. He would have seemed sick if not for the vigor in his black eyes. She had liked the vigor and energy he deployed, he seemed no older than twenty when it shines strongly. He was obviously older when he was not smiling. 

"Charming magician, have you managed to talk with your friends?", the tall man asks.

Zatanna smile. He always called her magician in a endearing voice. 

"Yes, I did".

The dark green haired man studies her for a while. The magician smiles again. When she does not want to talk about something, he would not push her for more information.

"Would you help the League?", she asks him slowly.

"Would they like another Green Lantern in the mix?", the man says with a smile.

"Probably. Green Lanterns are very powerful". 

"You haven't asked them?"

"No. We have enough on our plates as it is", she replies with a shake of her head.

The man moves forward. 

"Fine. But, don't forget you have to help me lift the curse".

"I will. More information would be helpful, by the way", she says.

The Green Lantern smirks at her while taking his backpack. 

"Of course it would. You know I cannot give you more".

She nods her head. Of course she knew. Part of the curse was he could not talk about the curse. It made her job so much more difficult. The man left her after a small smile.

Zatanna looks outside. Three years had passed. Gotham had changed during that time. The trees looked more crooked and the buildings uglier. Maybe that was only her perspective. She sighs. Maybe she should also change. Is it time for her to travel the world? Change her profession? Look for love? The superhero business was hard and if she wanted to grow old, she may want to lay off of the profession for a while. No, she thinks, in a strange way, it was who she was. Not as obsessed as Batman had been, but still her little love.

Zatanna decided she wanted to finish her cup of coffee very very slowly. The view was nice and she should smell roses while she still could.


	7. Diana Prince - Burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diana, Green Arrow and J'onn J'onzz meet the Joker.

The French guard in charge looks at his colleague. I sense they are not only uncomfortable in our presences ; our request is also problematic. I hear them exchange some words in French, but I am sure the gist of their discussion is how no one wants to be responsible for permitting the Joker to escape, not only because the Joker will, in all likelihood kill him, no, worst, the guard would have been responsible for all the other senseless acts the jester would do before his next imprisonment. I cannot blame their reticence to let us encounter the Joker. At the same time, I want to reassure the guards nobody would blame them if the Joker escapes during their rounds, because no prison seem strong enough to guard him for more than he wants. 

I sense the same thoughts touching J'onn. We can always catch the culprit, yet nothing changes. I feel suddenly very tired of repeating the same actions over and over. At home, time never seemed to flow. Mortality or Immortality had no meaning since everyone was the same. Here, I know how tenuous humans' lives are. Steve... One day, Steve will die. I know threats against the world may claim my life before his time, yet I see him growing older. There are no gray in his hair, but I dread the day our ways will part. My mother was right, mortality is one of humanity's greatest curse and blessing. For an immortal (or almost immortal), living in the Men's world is distressing. I quietly bless the Gods Joker is mortal. One day, he would no longer haunt humanity. That day will be a day to rejoice. When Steve dies, my heart will probably shatter... 

J'onn sends me a comforting look. At least, I will not be entirely alone in my longevity. 

Oliver taps his left foot on the ground and crosses his arms on his chest. I know the security we had to pass through to see Joker upsets him. His weapon had to be assess one by one. He is not used to be delayed either as a vigilante or as a civil. Normally, he would have commented on the process. 

"Hum, Madame Wonder Woman?", the French guard in charge cuts in my thoughts, "It seems everything is in order. The three of you can see him now. Don't forget the rules and we can only give you one hour. I hope this is enough?"

"Thank you Officer Boucher. It should be quite enough for our interrogation", I respond calmly. 

The officer opens the gate and waves his hand toward it. Oliver walks in first, then J'onn and me in last. Both guards close the iron gate and look at us descending the hallway toward the farthest cell, even if there are no occupants in any of the cells. At the end of the hallway, through some bars, we can see the man everyone calls Joker. He is grinning at a drawing on the floor, a drawing of red, green, white and black. He does not seem to notice our arrival even if he should have heard us. 

"Hey, Joker, we have some questions for you", Oliver calls out loudly. Joker does not look at us. He takes his lime green color pencil and draws something on the drawing. Oliver grips the bars and yells," Hey, stupid clown, we don't have all day here!". Joker finally deigns to look up. His grin fades. 

"A girly hero, a boring martian and the strongest man-hating woman of the world? I thought I rated at least the Big Alien after my last Paris incident", the Joker says quite sanely (for himself). 

"What girly hero! I can easily kill you with a bow or a knife!", Oliver answers before J'onn or I can stop his intervention. 

"Oh, I'm SOOO scared! Have you seem what I can doOOO with a knife or... explosives? I can explode you and your girly tight on any goood day!", the Joker laughs under Oliver's burning stare. I intervene before he can gloat more at Oliver.

"Joker, we just want you answer some questions. I hope we can count on your cooperation", I say. Joker sniggers,"Man, you're crazy giiiiiiiiiirl. I mean, you're ask'ng me to answer some questions? OOOOHhh! That's funny and they say I'm the crazy one!". I send a look to J'onn; this was going nowhere. J'onn glides to the iron bars and says,"Joker, we want to ask some questions about Batman". That catches the Joker's attention. He stops drawing and lowers his head a bit. He drops his pencil, puts his hands behind his head and leans against the wall. "Batman? NoOOW, I'm listening!", he says while his eyes gleams in the darkness that now covers his face, like a cat with its prey in sight. Oliver steps back a bit and I glare back at the villain. Even though he is only a human being, the Joker's madness gives him the illusion of inhumanity. Nobody that sees Joker at his worst can really think of him as just human. 

"Joker", J'onn continues blandly,"we are looking for Batman. Have you seen him since his disappearance three years ago?". Joker giggles and hit his leg with his hand,"Now, that is comedy! Your little coward's League can't find Batsy and you ask me to give you hints? Come on, you can do better comedy than that!". Joker points at Green Arrow and says," Well, I'll say something if girly there leaves us". J'onn and I exchange a look before turning to the frowning archer. He lifts his hands in a dismissing notion and leaves with some parting words, " Don't believe anything he says!". Joker laughs at his departure and turns to J'onn with a wide Cheshire smile, "What did you want again?". "You said you would say something if Green Arrow was not present", J'onn continues diplomatically. Joker leans forward and whispers,"Something". J'onn looks at me and I have to resist rolling my eyes. Joker laughs louder,"I promised I'd say 'something' and I said it! THAT is a classic joke! Ha ha ha...". This is a complete waste of time, I thought, too bad I can't put my lasso over him to force answers. Seemingly as if he could read my thoughts, the Joker says,"Oh, and Batsy? He almost killed me in Paris during the last incident. You know, my plan to make everyone laugh! Now, that was a great plan. TOooo Bad Batsy has no sense of humor". 

J'onn stands still and I stop breathing. My first thought was: Batman was alive, thank Hera!, yet my stomach sank at the 'killed' word. Batman almost killing Joker? Or did Joker just exaggerate? 

"I'm KIDDING!", Joker giggles like a school girl,"Or am I?". He picks up his drawing and I can see the green, red and white mix in the black at its core. Joker's colors and Batman's color together. It does not mean anything. My stomach churns for no discernible reason. Joker disturbs and that is always the problem with him : any uneasiness derived from his behaviors cannot be rationally explained. That is why you cannot really negotiate with the jester. We tried, unsuccessfully to get more information from the Joker, yet he ignored us in favor of drawing something. As our hour deadline was going to pass, J'onn and I went back to meet an irascible Green Arrow and we departed. After we went through security again, Green Arrow wanted to know whether the visit had been worth it and neither J'onn nor I could be certain. J'onn could not read (without reading Joker's thoughts) whether Joker was kidding or not, but Green Arrow he would check the security cameras and any possible involvement from Batman in the last Joker's incident. 

We had almost sent the orders to be beamed back to the Watchtower when someone hacked our transmitters to speak to us.


	8. Lois Lane - Missing Clues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lois Lane and Dinah talk.

Dinah was late. She was never late. 

"Is she on another last minute mission?", I thought as I finished my first beer. "Superheroes, you can never be sure they will make an appointment", I continue on the same line of thinking. Oh well, I have not enough patience to wait her another half-hour, I reasoned gathering my purse and my coat. As I am making my way to pay, I see her zip in the room. Her dress is crooked and she is breathless. Wow, haven't seen her like that since her famous keeping-Oliver-busy-for-his-surprise party! She takes my arm and brings me back to our usual table. She sits in front of me and takes a swig of the empty bottle of beer on the table. She hardly notices the lack of beer before she leans forward and says quietly:" I messed up".

There is a story here. My journalist's instincts kick in before my nosy friend's instincts do (Although Clark would really have questioned whether there was any distinctions between the two mind states, there are of course some very important differences. I mean, come on! It should be obvious!). "What did you do?", I ask. The waiter conveniently chooses that moment to come take Dinah's order (strongest beer) and mine and leave. Dinah is still distressed. I mean, for a woman who handles bad guys as a hobby, manages a business as a florist and works as a professional therapist, she is impressively put together. She never backs down from a fight, whether with villains or heroes and I admire her spunk. What could possibly distraught her so much she arrives late to our usual Friday drink?

"I messed up", she sighs. 

-What did you do?, I repeat.

-I fought with Oliver, she continues. I roll my eyes and think, "Yeah, when is your relationship not fraught with fights?"

-No, this is not our normal fights, she explains. I started a fight, saying he was cheating on me.

-And? Wasn't he cheating on you? He does that all the time. Shouldn't it be included in the last marriage contract you had made?, I respond.

-He was not cheating this time.

I wait. There must be an explanation for her frantic behavior. 

-Ok. He was not cheating. Why did you fight over that then?, I ask, confuse by this mess.

She swallows her saliva. The waiter brings in our beers. Neither of us look at him. She fidgets. She never fidgets.

-You see, Lois. I am sick and I do not know how to bring this up with him.

I stare at her. Sick? As if, mentally or physically ill? Did she mean poisoned or shot by a villain? It cannot be "ordinary" sick, couldn't it be?

-What kind of sick are we talking about?, I ask.

-Well, cancer, leukemia, if you will, she mutters into her drink before she takes another swig.

Leukemia? One-of-the-most-difficult-to-survive-cancer? That Leukemia? I do keep updated on the advancements in the health field. Dinah had leukemia. I felt shallow. I was always looking for news ; catastrophes, tragedies, failure, danger, bad practices and other bad news. Superman was my only "good" news field and even that was undermined by his appearance normally linked to another bad news. Sometimes, I had wondered whether this made me a bad person, for my fascination with bad news. Today, my fascination only added more fuel to my internal "bad friend" dialogue I had in my head. Well, no matter my internal conversations, I carried on with the real conversation.

-How long have you known?, I say quietly to Dinah.

My friend looks at me and she smiles sadly, " A bit over a week". We nurse our drinks for a few seconds.

-I'm sorry, I murmur, I'm sorry you are sick. 

-Not your fault, Lois. Not my fault, she whispers back.

-And Oliver in all this?, I suggest.

Dinah stares at her drink and plays with the label on the bottle. After a while, she says," I never told him. He was on a drinking tour with Hal and Zatanna. Then, he was on a hangover and I accused him of cheating". 

-With Zatanna and Hal?, I ask achingly.

-No, of course not, she chuckles softly at the thought, No I accused him of cheating with his secretary.

-And?

-Nothing. He acknowledges it when he cheats. He did not. I was mad with my diagnostics. I was mad he had been drunk. It had nothing to do with him cheating. I realize that now.

-Haven't you told him since?, I prod calmly. 

-He hasn't been around in the last week. He kept busy with a League thing. I spoke to him yesterday and I yelled at him for not explaining to me the League's emergency, Dinah continues quietly.

-There was an emergency..., I repeat.

-No emergency, just some investigations, nothing urgent. He was giving me space and I yelled at him. 

I sit up, walk to her side and sit down besides her. I put my hands around her and I squeeze her against my chest, giving her some welcome human warmth. I knew when someone needed it because Clark was sometimes gone for long periods without indications of when he would come back. I knew loneliness, not that it stopped me from being one of the best journalists around. No, work was fine, yet sometimes, I just yearned for love and its physical manifestation, not it wistful and ghostly embrace. It had been hard being with Superman, but I did not regret it. Not even when he was leaving me alone for no apparent reason for a week as he had just done. Oh, he spoke to you on the phone, told you it was fine. How can it be fine when he hides behind his superhero duties? Stop thinking about him,Lois, you have a friend in crisis. Dinah. Yes, Dinah was leaning in my embrace. The diagnostic and loneliness had hit her hard. I should help her. 

-Dinah, I am here for you, I whisper, Tell me how you want me to help you and I will. I will... 

Dinah whispers,"Just stay like that for a while. Thanks Lois. Everything will be fine". She repeats even more softly,"Everything will be fine. It will".

Yes, everything will be fine. Dinah, you beat villains, you'll reconcile with Oliver as you always do, you'll beat the cancer and you'll be happy. You will. That is what we are all trying to do, be happy no matter what happens, no matter what life throws at us. Dinah, you deserve to be happy. I hope we can weather the storms to come...


	9. Hal Jordan- Detective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Update on the Batman's search.

This was boring. Monitor duties were always the dullest activity of the Justice League. Even the meetings were more interesting, if only to catch up with the others. On monitor duties, there was nothing much to do except watch for bad things to happen. That was one thing I never missed when I am out of the planet. 

I mean, Carol is still mad at me for the last time we had a fight and I am not even sure I want to make up with her. It is too ridiculous how much of my time on Earth is invested in rehabilitating my relationships with my lover or my family (both my brothers are vexed at my unpredictability). I don't know when I have to go on my next out of planet mission, even if in the last few months, the Green Corps have more or less left me alone. The longer I spend on Earth at one time, the more I think I loved getting called out of here for duty. It gave me a reason for not committing in my relationships. Carol, my brothers and their families and even the Justice League knew I could not be trusted to be there. The Justice League is the easiest to fall back on, since it is not a personal relationship and the others understand the responsibilities associated with being a hero. All of them have some sort of issues with their time management. I like being in the Watchtower because I can be myself and everyone is happy to get news from me. I do not have to grovel or lie to get in their good grace. 

Carol... is not an easy person to get along with. She is too stubborn and prone to start fights. Barry would have told me I was an hypocrite to complain about that. But he is dead. It still hurts sometimes to think of him. Even all those years after his death, it does not come easier. 

The Justice League has changed quite a lot from the beginning. Atom is here and so is Hawkman and Green Arrow. Now, I feel closer to Green Arrow than anyone else in this new League. He is older and darker than he was when we first met, however, so am I. Flash almost completely retired from duties after the whole death of the batfamily and Arthur decided to focus on his kingdom and family. Wonder Woman is still dealing with Steve Trevor's death, making her less cheerful and calmer, if not wiser. J'onn has grown more withdrawn than he has been since him joining the Justice League. Hawkgirl is mostly unchanged, although her involvements with Hawkman are strangely more passionate than they were before. Green Arrow has grown more serious with Dinah over the last few years and his cheating has probably ended completely. Knowing his background, this is a huge deal for him. Superman... It is hard to tell. At times, I believe he feels like me about Barry's death. At others, it seems completely different. For one, everyone knew Superman was supposed to ask Lois Lane in marriage a few years ago, except, he never did. From what I see, he is becoming more and more like me and Carol, slowly disengaging from the other despite the genuine love. 

Beep. Beep. 

Ah, right, monitor duties. 

"Hal listening here". 

"Hal, could you beamed us up?", Green Arrow asks, strained. 

"Sure, wait a second", I answer while heading to the zeta beam. 

"Sorry to interrupt your nice conversation, but weren't you looking for me?", a strange voice on our comms says. 

A silence follows.

"Who are you?", Wonder Woman asks in a hard voice.

"You know me for the riddles I leave behind."

"Riddler".

"Green Arrow, that is me."

"How did you get on our lines?"

"It is remarkably easy when you have the time for it."

"What do you want?", a calm J'onn interjects.

"Ah, more like, what do you want with me? I've heard you have all been harassing villains to get some information on Batman. I am insulted you think Poison Ivy, Joker and Bane have a better understanding of Batman than I do. Would you be looking for Freeze soon? I am sure he knows a lot about Batman", the annoying voice continues.

What an idiot. This is why villains are stupid. Even the smarter ones. They have to be important and want to state their opinions on everything. Nobody could find the Riddler in the last while, yet here he comes and gives us hints. He is even annoyed nobody is looking for him. I repeat, what an idiot.

"Well, we can ask the questions now", Green Arrow decides, "Do you know what happened with Batman in the last few years? Do you know where he is now?".

"Ah, you think I would answer those questions for free?"

Yes, I think you will. You called us to give us information. You are probably bored. 

"So you don't know what happened to Batman and you don't know about his whereabouts? I am not surprised", Green Arrow continues.

"Of course I know".

"I doubt it. Nobody knows anything about him. So you don't, either", Green Arrow nonchalantly insults the Riddler.

"I am the best detective of the world! Of course I know!"

"Really", Ollie complains with a sigh.

"Yes, I do! Batman spent some months with the League of Shadow, fought with Ra's Al Ghul and disappeared."

"So, you do not have any information about Batman for the last two and half years? You are quite useless". 

For a few moments, there are no replies. 

"Good one. You forced me to give my information".

"Well, for someone supposedly clever, you are easy to fool", Green Arrows says, "Although I am not surprised you cannot locate Batman. He is better at hiding than anyone else I know. Have you even looked for him?"

"I came to London to find a Sherlock Holmes. Nobody is as good as Batman as a opponent. I don't want to fight with Superman physically. This is boring. Of course, I've looked a bit for Batman. So have you. You haven't found him yet. Who told you to look for him with the villains?", Riddler asks, clearly curious.

"Nobody", Diana answers.

"You mean Gordon? He has not told you the other places to look for Batman? I am surprised".

"What other places?", J'onn interjects.

"Well, while it is true Batman would be kept updated with his villains, he will obviously keep an eye on Gotham and on his allies". 

"Gotham and us?", Diana clarifies.

"Yes, especially since there are strange things happening in both of them."

"What?", I press, intrigued for the first time since the start of the conversation.

Riddler laughs (annoyingly) and hangs up. Silence overtakes our comms.

"As fun as waiting here is, could you beamed us up?", Green Arrow asks.

"Sure", I answer.


	10. Superman- Despair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Superman reminisces.

From space, it all looked foreign and distant. The screams I hear can be part of the cacophony of life. I think I have been desensitized from all of those human tragedies. I have heard too many of them.

"Smallville", I remember Lois saying, "You are truly a good man. Most of us would have been tired of the unrelenting sufferings of the world if we heard it everyday. You, on the other hand, remain dedicated to helping humans. I like your goodness shining strong inside you". 

She did not understand. She never truly did. She loved Superman first, Clark second. But, she never understood I became tired a long time ago. 

Superman loved her courage, Clark, her dedication and Kal El, her stubbornness. She never was really part of Kal El's world and she interacted with Superman's missions less and less often. She never saw Clark for who he was truly, even after I told her I was Superman. She thinks I am kindness incarnate. I am not. I never was. 

I had hope.

Hope. 

Bruce's first son, Dick Grayson, Nightwing, Robin, Richard. Dick was hope for Batman. Hope tragedy would not be the single most determinant factor in someone's life. Batman had told me, in one of his rare moments of companionship, Dick was the hero Batman could never be, light, kind and helpful. He worked well with others and was brave without being suicidal... Bruce had always been unbalanced, destroyed by his loss. Dick had mourned his parents, yet he did not become obsessed like Batman was. He was an hero having overcome his tragedy.

The first thing they killed was Hope. 

Bruce's first son was almost my son. He certainly turned to me for help after he was fired by Batman. He took the name of Nightwing because of the stories of Krypton I told him. He was always meeting me. He was the one confronting me when I was falling apart at Batman's death, even when I was furious he took his mentor's cowl. Dick. The kind and acrobatic Robin who made Batman smiled. Yes, I miss him. Even if he never was my son as he was Bruce's, it still torn my insides to think such a bright star destined to shine so brightly on Earth was extinguished so easily. It hurts even now...

They cry for my help. They ask for forgiveness. They want me to intervene without pause. 

I should go. Hope may be almost gone, yet I should go and do what I always do: save the world, seek Lois's warm admiration and gentleness and forget everything else. Forget what hope looks like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since Superman will have a lot of chapters, those chapters will all be short.


	11. J'onn J'onzz-Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> J'onn J'onzz confronts Wonder Woman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a another chapter being published today to compensate for the last one, which was very short.

Green Arrow has gone back home after he received a call. He seemed anxious and happy at the same time. I hope it goes well. 

Green Lantern has also gone home, since he finished his shift at monitor duty. He did not feels happy to go back to Earth. Humans are strange most of the time.

Nonetheless, my problem now is Diana. She knew I wanted to speak to her even before I requested a meeting. Her eyes can see the truth as mine see the thoughts and emotions of others. I did not want this to happen. I vowed never to interfere into humans' life as I am still an alien without the advantages of knowing all their ways. More than Hawkgirl or Superman, I will always be the alien, because my last life superposes over this life like a ghost. As Amazon as she is, Diana can and will truly inhabit this 'Men's World'. 

Diana makes tea for us both. I sense her uneasiness. This is truly rare. Compare to the rest of the Leaguers, she is the one with powers most similar to mine. Therefore, she is more at peace with me than the others are ever. I hope I do not destroy this good relationship. 

Diana takes place in front of me and sips from her hot tea. I patiently wait for the warmth to disperse. Will it really?, I ponder.

"You wanted to speak with me, J'onn?", she says, forcing me to concentrate on reality.

"Yes Diana. You probably know why?", I answer slowly. She looks at me over her cup, seemingly deep in thought: "I have an idea". 

"Diana, I admire your dedication to Superman."

"I sense a "but".

"Diana, you do not seem to be dealing with your own mourning", I pronounce reluctantly. Hopefully, she will understand where I come from.

Her eyes bravely do not abandon mine. She does not answers immediately, slowly putting her cup on the table between us. I wait another moment for an answer that never comes. 

"I am sorry if I am overstepping our friendship's boundaries, but I sense you often forget Steve has been dead for almost a year. I worry about you".

She smiles gracefully,"Thanks J'onn for caring". She looks at Earth from our magnificent windows,"You are right. I sometimes forget he is dead. I know we were supposed to live different longevity, but I had hoped we would have more years together". 

I give her a small pressure on her hand to show I am there for her. Words sometimes are more clumsy than action. 

We stay looking at the sky and Earth in silence, one of my hand on hers. Finally, she turns to me: "J'onn, Steve is difficult to forget, yet dealing with the Justice League is also difficult". 

I am surprised by her statement: "Why do you feel like that?".

She bites her lips: "The truth is I am supposed to be loyal to two friends and I cannot respect both of their wishes at once. What should I do?"

I ponder a moment before answering: "There are no easy answer for that, Diana. Do you want to explain a bit more?"

She sighs, "I should not be talking about this, nonetheless your wise counsel is much appreciated. I lied by omitting something at the beginning of this week when we were talking about our last meetings with Batman and Bruce. Although I did not meet him after the funeral arrangements, he left me a message at my home".

"What did it say?"

She laughs ruefully: "It was brief and to the point, as Batman tends to be. It only said: "Diana, Don't look for me. Don't tell the others about the letter nor its content. Thank you for arranging the funerals.-B"

I was not really astonished at the cryptic message. It did sound like Batman. Why he even wrote such a letter was more surprising. What was its purpose?

Batman had always been the most difficult to read, notwithstanding his fear of anyone entering his head. The uneasiness I got from the League meeting discussing Batman's disappearance came back in full force. This letter only said three things : 1) Don't search for Batman (or was it Bruce?) 2) Keep this a secret 3) Thanks. 

"Do you know why he wrote the letter? I never really understood why. Until now, I thought he might have written a similar letter to everyone.", Diana asks gently.

I was opening my mouth to confess my ignorance when a realization came as a meteor hitting a planet. Hard. 

The question was : "Why did Batman want Diana to avoid looking for him? Diana, specifically?" The answer was the Lasso of Truth. Diana was the only one sure to get the truth. The Truth might be the way to find Batman, yet Batman did not want us to know the truth. I shivered. I never needed to shiver as I was not human, yet I knew this truth, no matter what it was, was scary. Truly scary, even for Batman. 

Diana notices my face's transformations and leans forward: "Are you okay J'onn? You seem terrified. Do you know something?"

The final piece of the puzzle fell in place. Batman had asked Diana not to search for him, meaning she could find the truth if she used it on the right person. How would she find the right person? What if the right person was someone Diana already had access to? Who did Diana have access to that had a connection with Batman? Jim Gordon, Batman's villains or... the Justice League. It could be translated to: "Do not, under any circumstances, use the Lasso of Truth on the members of the Justice League to find me", or was that only a stretch of my imagination? I hoped with all my heart it was only my imagination. I hoped this was not the famous human gut feeling. 

Diana stood and crouches to my side, clearly worried. I could not erase all the fear from my face as I turn to her: "Diana, I have to think about your revelation. Thank you for sharing it with me. Could we talk at a later time?"

She examines my face and smiles uncertainly: "Sure. Let me know when you are ready to share your conclusions".

She waited until I stood up and left for my chambers before heading back home.

This is difficult. Batman did not want us to know. He always hid things from us, but this time, did he have a good reason to hide the truth? Were we in danger? For the first time since the meeting discussing Batman's disappearance, I was certain Batman was still alive, that he was planning his next move. He waited over three years. What is the truth you so thoroughly wanted to hide, Batman?


	12. Wally West-Fast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally West (or the Flash) discusses with his wife Linda.

Speedsters live fast and die as quickly. His Uncle Barry's death had taught him that. 

He was also dying, sucked in the Speed force. He thought of Linda and the twins. He will not see them grow old. He teared up as he was stuck in another time dimension, a dimension only Speedster could access. Linda cried for him and he was gone. 

Then, he saw even worst. Linda dead at his feet, evidently tortured. Where were the twins?, his mind supplied. There, also tortured and dead. No, scratch that, one of them was alive, so disfigured he could not even tell which it was. But the voice, he heard: "It is your fault... dad. We die... because you are a coward". 

Fear courses through his veins: "No", he whispers, "No, it cannot be".

He hears Linda calling him. Even her ghost cannot leave her alone, it seems. No, his kids were dead, his wife also... 

"Wake up, Wally!"

I wake up and I am laying on my bed, sheets everywhere, my wife out of the bed. Another nightmare.

"Wally, are you fine?"

"I think so. How long was it, this time?"

"Two minutes. You didn't even hear me", my wife whispers, while settling back in bed. 

I take my head between my hands and I feel her hands on my shoulders, circling around soothingly. 

"What was it this time? Barry's death? Another invasion?", she asks after I get my breathing under control.

I gulp: "No, it was worst than normal. I was dying Barry's death and you and the twins died, after being tortured".

She pauses a moment, gets up, fetches water and my medicament and comes back in bed with me. I take the pills, swallow them and the water and I thank her. 

"The meeting", she says, "The Justice League meeting has upset you once again". 

I sigh: " I know. I used to feel safe and strong with them, yet the meeting this week was... It made me feel as if all of Batman's paranoia were true. As if there was an evil force playing with us and there was nothing I could do about it". 

She takes my hand in her hands and turn to me: "You'll be fine Wally. We've been through a lot together. Counselling has help. Your PTSD has been more controlled in the past two years. You are making progress".

"Linda, I can never forget the image. Dick, dead, lying at Batman's feet. You know, I was always close to Dick and Dick had always been concerned about Batman going off the deep end. He said nobody had walked the edge of insanity as close and as long Batman had. When I saw Dick laying there, my first thought was that Batman had finally gone mad and had murdered the ones he loved. Sometimes, I still think Batman did it, that there are no masterminds playing with us with godlike powers." 

"Wally, you told me that before. I know you think of Dick, but do you really think Batman would do it? He loved them more than anything, according to what you told me".

"He did love them", I purposely do not answer her question. Because if Batman did murder everyone he loved in a moment of madness, we should not have unleashed him on the world. And if he did not do it, Dick would have wanted me to help Bruce. Either way, we did not do the right thing.

I do not tell Linda that loving someone was not always enough to avoid hurting them. I do not tell her Batman was always hurting everyone near him with his sudden need for distance, that Dick always struggled with Batman's isolation and lack of words. Besides, who would be able to tell if Batman did go mad? He was complex on a good day. 

"Should we sleep?", I ask.

"Are you fine?"

"I am", I declare more confidently than I feel. I'll be fine, I say to myself, Speedsters don't all live their lives too quickly, some of us get to enjoy the little things... Speedsters don't all die quickly. I'll see my kids grow up, I owe Linda that, I think as a cuddle very closely to her.


	13. Superman- Weak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Superman and Hal Jordan defeat villains together.

There was many times in life when you should not get distracted. This was not one of them, I thought, as I avoided a purple tentacle trying to squash me against the ground. 

Because, as Superman, there was truly a limited amount of villains for whom I had to give all my attention in order to survive. Strange seemingly mutated squids from outer space were not among them. Defeating them was time consuming, yet relaxing at the same time, akin to playing a puzzle-solving video game. Find the murder weapon, find proof and accuse the right person. I had always wanted to be a writer, but I never told anyone I wanted to write mysteries. Well, Batman had surmised it, I think. 

I dodge another stray tentacle attack and I punch the squid hard enough to make him (or her?) lose consciousness. 

After working so long with detectives in the League or out, I realized I was not a detective. The job was similar to journalism, yet so different at the same time. 

Another squid was launching an attack on the village. I tackled it down on the hard rocks. 

In mystery novels, the detective had a limited number of suspects. He had to deduce the time, means, location and reason of the crime. He also had to prove it, normally by a last minute confession by the murderer (yes, even if other crimes were committed, murder dominated mystery novels). 

In real life, things were much more complicated. Even with probably the best database in the world, Batman had still been surprised numerous times by unknowns appearing suddenly on the crime scene. J'onn J'onzz could read minds, yet he lamented his failures of proving said crimes were done by the accused. Both had let dangerous criminals slip by them. 

"It is who we fail and who we save that makes me go back", Batman had once told me. He had quietly whispered a confession as if he was scared someone would use it against him to prove he had feelings:"I fail all the times. But, sometimes, I save one person. That person is worth it".

Batman was strong, resilient. He could take failures as Batman and stand up again even as breakable as he was.

Barbara had been able to do it too. She had been unable to use her legs for most of her crime-stopping career. She had continued being one of the most important asset combating crimes. She was always tough as nails, wise and she easily talked back to Batman, one of the most stubborn person ever. 

Barbara, Batgirl and Oracle were the second person they took from him. After hope, they wanted to remove his resilience.

"Hey, Supes! Want some help?", I hear Hal Jordan yell.

I smile, "Sure, pick your squids". Hal laughs. It is good to hear.

He constructs an hammer and brings it down on a squid to his right. Afterward, he creates a cage around another squid as I push two squids together on the ground. This alien invasion is almost completely dealt with. 

"Well, this was good way to pass time", Hal said, managing to cage the last of the aliens, "Now, what do we do with them?"

"We can ask J'onn to send them back or do you want the Lanterns to do it?", I ask Hal. He flashes his teeth while initiating communication with the other Lanterns,"We can handle it. They are technically on probation, so now, we kind of have to punish them". 

I scrutinize Hal Jordan. He too is resilient. He lost his best friend, his love life is in shambles and he does not often see his family on Earth. Despite it all, he still combats evil, either on Earth or elsewhere. 

I am falling apart at my seams, I know it. I should try to get it together. Lois and Diana have been both looking at me oddly. This normally means I am not even pretending correctly nothing is wrong. Even Hal glances over now to see if I'll act strangely. 

"So, Supes, after the other Lanterns and I bring the squids back, do you think we can go for drinks?", Hal asks.

That is a surprise. Hal has never been close to me. It was always Oliver and Barry... Barry, he is missing Barry and probably wants to talk about him.

"Sure", I smile back at him.

"Great", he answers.

We wait in silence until Guy, John and Kyle arrive and give Hal an hand to take all aliens back to where they belong.

John nods to me and Kyle waves. Guy ignores me as usual. At times like this, I use my memory to bring back the picture of him laying on the ground after he had asked Batman to fight him without his ring. This always made interactions with him easier to endure. 

"See you later", Hal Jordan waves to me before they take off. 

This did make me feel a bit better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: J'onn J'onzz investigates.


	14. J'onn J'onzz- Misdirection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "A man must be mad to become Batman."

This was the house. Old, rickety, yet still painted and taken care of, although intermittently. 

I rang the bell. I could hear someone moving to the door. The steps stopped in front of the door for a moment before the door opens. Apparently, he observes visitors before letting them in. That was a wise policy in Gotham.

"Come in", Jim Gordon gestures to me. I step inside and he guides me to the kitchen where a coffee pot is slowly brewing and where some canned soup is being cooked. I stand behind the table, waiting to be invited to sit.

"Detective Jones", Jim Gordon says, "to what do I owe this visit?"

"Inspector Jim Gordon", I reply, " I am not Batman, you can call me my real name now". The man looks me over and says, "Fine, J'onn J'onzz, what are you doing at my house?"

Gotham had a way of making people wary of even the best intentions. I should be happy the inspector let me in his house without asking any other questions.

"Please call me J'onn", I remove my disguise.

Jim Gordon does not reciprocate. 

"Mister Gordon, I come on the same subject as last time". 

He moves to check on his soup before taking a pack of cigarette from the counter. He looks over slowly at me before he sits down, "Fine. Ask me what you will".

"Last week, when we came to see you, you omitted some important information", I state.

Jim Gordon's face did not react. He continues looking nonchalantly at me, waiting for the reason behind my visit. 

"Would you be willing to provide me the required information now?"

His hands shift on the box of cigarette, fidgeting to take a cigarette out. He waits with a cigarette in one hand. Silence is something I can appreciate. 

I see the vapor rising above the soup and a ding rings for the coffee. Jim Gordon sighs and moves up again to take a cup of coffee, black. He does not offer me some even if there are some leftover. The man is making sure I know I am not a guest at his home, only a sufferance he needs to endure, not uncivilly, but unwelcome nonetheless. 

"We might as well get this over", Jim Gordon says, "What sort of information do you think I am hiding from you?"

"Information on Batman", I respond succinctly. The tired man stares at me, waiting for some sort of explanation.

"Mister Gordon, I have not worked as long with Batman as you did, but I did work a many years alongside him. From my understanding of the man, he keeps his secrets very closely to his chest and I have long believed his secrets have secrets. His superheroes associates had the same habit, even if their secrets were not as deep as his own. This means it is wholly possible your secrets have secrets".

I stop my explanation to look at the man for him to understand what I am trying to achieve. Jim Gordon does not approve in any way my speech, but he does not interrupt or send me away. He listens very intensely. From my limited experience with Gothamites, this means I am not completely ridiculous, although to which extent is uncertain.

"The only things you told us when you came to visit were things necessary to dispel our suspicion Batman had been in any meaningful contact with you. At least one of us would have been suspicious of you if you told us Batman did not let you know your daughter was dead by his fault. You told us Batman contacted you concerning your daughter and made funeral arrangements with you. You told us you did not forgive him. But you did not say you were aware your daughter was a superhero nor did you say you were more angry with yourself than with Batman. Your reaction just now confirms you know of my secret identity although we have never met before last week. You have known Batman's identity for some time now. You are one of the best detective around and it would be absurd for you to deny knowing your daughter's superhero identities. This is how I knew you were hiding information from us."

The man still stares at me while swirling his coffee. His cigarette is forgotten in his other hand.

"Also, you gave us a hint of how to find Batman by looking for his villains. If you know Batman better than any of the members of the Justice League, you would know of his great obsession with Gotham. That obsession is stronger than his obsession with his villains. Yet, you purposely let us believe most of Batman's important villains, including the Joker, were outside of Gotham, knowing we would follow our inquiries outside of Gotham. In conclusion, I surmised you were hiding something in Gotham, something probably linked to Batman."

Jim Gordon puts one hand on his forehead and sighs again, "I knew you would be the hardest to fool. You didn't use your telepathy on me, did you?"

"No. How do you know?", I ask, curious, because most humans would have assumed I did. 

"Batman. If you used your telepathy on people that easily, Batman would not have chosen to be part of the Justice League. As you say, he has secrets within secrets and he dislikes sharing them."

There was a imperceptible shift in the atmosphere. Talking about Batman's paranoia seemed to bring us closer as allies on the same side of the game. What the game was, was entirely another question.

Jim Gordon gestures me to the seat in front of him, "Take a seat, this might take some time". I sit and look him sip coffee at an unlikely hour. The soup is not yet ready.

The old man sighs again before stating, "It is true Batman's obsession is Gotham". He pauses to look outside at the dark street in front of his home. His lips curl upwards in a fond and nostalgic smile. I study the man. Overworked, tired, lost, yet he still persists in working to get the unsettling city to be safer and cleaner. It is truly a thankless job. In some ways, he understood Batman's obsession with Gotham, something I always felt strange and uncomfortable. Batman had been the member of the Justice League most attached to his "city", banning anyone else from entering it. His well known feelings for a city so dark and haunting were the subject of many discussion and conflict in the Justice League.

"I also knew my daughter was Batgirl and Oracle", the Gothamite whispers, sad and quiet. My grief for my lost family had mostly been silent, so I gave Jim Gordon the same gift.

The soup starts to boil. Jim Gordon stands up and puts his soup in a bowl before bringing it back to the table where he started eating the soup.

"So, what do you want to know?", the inspector asks in between spoonful of soup. I observe his ravenous eating, like a man drowning appearing at the surface.

"What is Batman planning?"

The Gothamite continues eating before answering, "How should I know. He never tells me his plans". 

"Did you not used to plan criminals' captures together?"

The man smiles mockingly , "True, but he normally told me the when and where. Nothing else."

"Then, what do you know?"

Jim Gordon thinks a few moments, "Almost nothing." After a silent minute, he adds, "I'm not even sure if it is him."

"What do you mean?"

"I did tell you the truth before. I have not seen Batman since the night he came to talk about Barbara."

I prompt, "But you are or were in communication with someone."

He hesitates a moment, "Yes".

"And that person may or may not be Batman".

He evaluates me with his eyes, "Whoever it is, it is not Batman". 

"What do you mean?"

Jim Gordon swallows coffee, "On the night he came to tell me my daughter's death, he informed me it was also Batman's last night." 

I flinch. To my knowledge, Batman never wanted to give up his superhero identity since he would have been lost without it. This means he had to do it. Someone made him do it. The image of that someone taunting Batman of his weaknesses while killing the people he loved the most came back to my mind. Batman had to quit. Does that mean he met that someone after his family death or does that mean the threat was enough for him to stop completely being Batman. 

"So, this someone that communicates with you, what is the name he gives you?"

Jim Gordon sighs very loudly, "I don't think I should tell you".

"Why not?"

"If that someone wanted to make himself known to the Justice League, he would have. Beside, Gotham is always its own world. Its citizens protect their own." 

The statement had some truth to it. Gotham was something otherworldly : dangerous, mysterious, unsettling, insane and attaching to rare chosen. It was describe as a beautiful Gothic city and a capital in crime and insanity. Metropolis had its share of evil and villain, yet nowhere else in the world had J'onn seen the level of raw insanity as Gotham had. There was a sense Gotham was almost its own planet, stranded on Earth.

"Then, why do you think this someone is who Batman was before?"

"The mystery. It is difficult to obtain Batman's opacity in communication. People let information slip at one point or another. This someone gives me only the information he wants me to know, nothing else."

"It it a hunch that someone is the person Batman was?"

"Yes", Jim Gordon says very quietly, finishing his soup.

"But that is not all you deduced..."

Jim hesitates before taking back his lone unlit cigarette into his hands, "No, it is not". 

I had an idea what sort of conclusion the inspector had drawn from the "non Batman" communications. I had to verify it.

"Then, you think he does not want to be found."

"Yes, I do", Jim Gordon says, raising an eyebrow. 

"He does not want to be found by the Justice League."

Only silence met my statement. The inspector leans backwards and observes me. I do the same, examining his relaxed position in the chair. 

"You have been very helpful, Mister Gordon. Again, I am sorry we did not meet under the best circumstances".

"Likewise. I think I can see why he trusted you." 

I stand up. Jim Gordon does not. 

"When you said Batman might have gone mad, was that another technique to distract us or did you really think so?", I ask after a moment.

Jim Gordon looks at me and seems to think for a short while, "Batman was already mad. A man must be mad to become Batman. The question was whether he would become insane in a unacceptable way." The man stares at his forgotten cigarette, " Traumatic experience made him how he is. And the traumatic experience of seeing his whole family die three years ago may be enough to make him go mad in a worst manner." 

The Gothamite smiles wistfully before turning to me, "Well, he was always special. Other persons became Batman, nonetheless they were never him. Oh, they did a good job of curtailing the obvious threats, but they could not anticipate problems before they appeared, like he did. They also did not understand Gotham like him. He wanted to uproot evil at its core, not at its symptoms." 

"Do you still use the batlight?"

"Yes, Batwoman is still in town. She does a great job with the gangs." But he did not say she was not the 'real' Batman either. By all reports, she was not.

"Goodnight and thank you Inspector Gordon. I would be my honor to shake your hand."

"None of that. Good people are always happy to recognize one another", Jim says while standing up and giving me his hand with a tired smile. We shook hands and he led me to the door. "J'onn J'onzz, I wish you luck. I think you will need it", the man whispers quietly, after looking around the doorstep, while shutting the door.

Gotham,it seems it was truly the city where secrets prosper.


	15. Superman- Faithless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "To pretend I did not feel even lonelier among them than above them. "  
> -Superman

"Superman!", a child yells in Hindi. 

I carry him over to his parents, far from the flaming inferno burning the building. They clap for me and they praise me. I don't really hear them. Superman has to be patient and kind so I smile gently to them. But it's not them I am smiling at. 

"I wish I had your endurance", Batman once told me a long time ago after a terrible battle against an invasion force, two days after another threat had been eliminated. "I am happy you don't", I answered quietly back to him. Wounded and on the edge of exhaustion, he had scowled at me. He could see I was a bit tired and had no marks on my body. Bruce was impatient when tired and he glared even more menacingly after a moment. "You do not understand Batman. My body may be almost invincible and I may not get tired easily, yet I still need more than sleep and invincibility to be fine. I always need to balance my needs with everyone else's. I have to take vacations sometimes. You would not. You continuously try to push your body's limits. With an almost illimitable body, you would still push its boundaries. You would do too much", I had explained quietly. Batman's chilly silence stood between us for some time after. He probably knew I was right and he hated it. 

"You always did too much", I whisper, still smiling, to my confused Indian audience. They ask me to repeat what I had said. I wave an hand to them and depart to stop a car accident in Germany.

"I don't get how you can stand getting insulted all the time by Spooky! I mean, he does not seem to get how good you are. He calls you an idiot in front of the Justice League, but you still defend him when he presents something to the League. Why do you let him walk all over you?", Green Lantern had asked during the first year of the Justice League. Barry had interjected, "Hal, shut up. Clearly, Superman trusts Batman. Besides, Batman does great work. Even if you don't like him, it is still possible to get along with him, right Superman?". 

"Right", I say while turning over a car in the air to set it down on the asphalt. No one died from the car accident. A plane is crashing in Egypt. I have to fly fast for this one. 

"I am sorry", Bruce had told me quietly, his hand on my shoulder. He knew how it felt to lose parents. I should be strong. My loss was much less than his had been. Less traumatic also. Pa died by cardiac arrest, not a gun hole in the chest. Still, Bruce gave me a much needed hug and pulled me to my home. He stayed until I had asked him to leave. It was not as awkward as all my previous interactions with the man had been. It took me some time to figure out how much grief was part of the everyday Bruce Wayne. How he knew presence was the only thing he could really give me. 

I stop the plane one inch from the ground. I set it down very slowly. Time to go to work. I don't want to lose my job. So I fly again to Metropolis to pretend I care about writing news. To pretend my pleas for peace and sharing will change something in this world. To pretend I did not feel even lonelier among them than above them. God sent his son to Earth, not Himself for some really good reasons.

"Hi Smallville", I hear Lois say when I sit at my desk. We never told anyone at the office, with the exception of Jimmy, we were dating. By now, I think they all know. We get teased all the time about taking our sweet time for our engagement. Sometimes, I am annoyed at the subtle reminders, sometimes, guilty. Lois does what Lois does best; she counteract on the other person's personal life. As entertaining as it is, she did start some completely unnecessary fights. But when has Lois not done so?

"Hi Lois", I smile back at her as normally as I can manage.

She frowns at my pathetic attempt, "Perry will call you in to ask about your mother. I hope you memorized the story I sent you?"

Lies, always lies. "Sure did, Lois"

"Clark", the words fall from her mouth before her pride can stop it, "Please talk to me. I know there is something wrong and I want to help you, even if just by listening to you". Her eyes soften around the edge and she puts one hand on my shoulder. Her small squeeze feels heavier than the world Atlas so courageously carried. I force myself to avoid shuddering. I manage a frail smile. Her worry heightens the burden even more.

"I will Lois, I will", I whisper to her.

"You know Clark, liars go to hell. So did you or did you not steal my hat?", Lana had told me when we were in second grade. I had believed her then. I had told her everything and then she gave me hell.

"Clark!", Perry White calls out. "I'm coming", I respond, gleefully escaping Lois's hand.

Before reaching Perry's office, I have time to consult, with the help of my superspeed, Lois's email highlighting my excuse of the hour.

Thanks Lois, I think reaching for Perry's office doorknob, you are always so supportive.

"Alfred, why does he do it? I mean, we got along nicely together until he goes and suddenly, he shuts me out! Without telling me anything. I have had enough of that", I had complained (almost yelled) at placid Alfred. "You do, Master Kent?", Alfred had answered back. I had looked him hard in the eyes, "How do you do it, Alfred? I'm not the first one he has pushed out of his life nor will I will be the last one. There are no please, no thanks and almost never any acknowledgement of my presence. You must be a saint. I, for one am not". Alfred evaluated me with his eyes, "Sir, May I tell you a secret?". I had been intrigued by his non sequitur, "Of course Alfred". "Master Kent, the secret to surviving Batman's lack of manners is to find the truth of the man and keep track of it". "What do you mean, Alfred?". Alfred had smiled, "Well, Sir, if the whole world was against you, Batman would have your back. If you see his heart, you will realize Master Bruce is the most loyal friend in the world, despite his apparent manners. May I propose you look at his heart and never lose track of it? I found it has helped me endure all of the Master Bruce's distasteful masks". I had stared, stunned, at Alfred for a long minute, "I am sure that annoys him more than anything". Alfred's lips curled slightly upward, "You have no idea, Sir. Please keep it a secret, I would rather Master Bruce not learn of my 'involvement' in his affairs". I had laughed at that, "Alfred, you are pearl, without you, he would be lost". And Alfred had given me a secret smile, " I agree, Sir, I agree". 

Good old Alfred. His advice was always welcomed. In how many fights had I thought of listening to Batman's heart to stop myself from going too far? It had worked every time.

"Mr. White, you wanted to see me?", I ask.

"Sure did, Kent", he answers, "I want to sent you make a follow-up of the Bruce Wayne's disappearance. It will be the third year since one of the richest man in the world disappeared almost without a trace. Readers have been sending me letters and letters. May as well make a fluff piece on the matter. And you were the Bruce Wayne's expert before his vanishing act, so make a cute article on that for next Friday". I had stopped breathing during his speech. This was too much.

"Are you Ok Kent? You seem a bit pale", my boss inquires almost gently. "I'm fine". He frowns at me, "In that case, get back to work and let me know in advance if you think your mother on death's doorsteps. I rather you do not leave here without warnings". I scramble out the door.

"How was it?", Lois prods. "Fine", I answer. Her frowning face indicates her knowledge of my lie, but she lets it go for now.

The blank monitor in front of me does not help me avoid thinking about Bruce. My mind always turns to him.

Fighting for me against the world. Well, Bruce was not the only one loyal. His team or family were so loyal to him, they would all have been willing to go to hell for him.

Remember Red Robin?, my mind supplies. Tim Drake, the third Robin, Red Robin. When everyone thought Batman killed by Darkseid, he was the only who had thought otherwise. He had gone against all his family, his friends and the Justice League to prove he was still alive. He had been right. Yet, I knew going against everyone's advice was hard and believing in his own sanity, harder for a teenager in mourning over many loss. Loyal : having faith in someone, despite everything.

Thinking about Red Robin did not help me focus, I surmise. Concentrate on making another useless article. Yes, concentrate on the now. It is much safer.


	16. Wonder Woman-A Walk in the Park

How could I forget him? 

The wind whispers his name, the grass protects his imprints and the world calls him a hero.

Yet, here, alone, I wait for him to come behind me and call me "Diana!" as only he could do, soft and strong. As I look at his memorial plaque, conveniently placed in a public park, but hidden in an almost untraveled trail. Love makes me strong, I have to think. This is the path I have chosen. 

J'onn understands. He was kind enough to remind me to mourn. The Amazons traditionally held a feast to celebrate a warrior's passing. It lasts three days and night and sadness and happiness marry themselves for the occasion. After the ceremony, mourning has ended. 

Here, in the Men's world, they had a small ceremony, some eulogies, some articles enumerating his exploits and many stories were told. They do not smile nor laugh. 

Sometimes, I recognize my inability to truly live in this 'new world'. Their mourning are not enough. A piece of me has not acknowledge his passing. And I am the Truth incarnate. I am a mess, but so is the League. Kal. I have to help Kal. He is the center of the Justice League and my best friend. I cannot lose him too.

"J'onn", I call in my comm.

"Yes, Diana.", he responds after a moment.

"Where are you now?"

"Gotham", he answers.

"Did you figure something out?", I pursue.

"Yes and no".

"What do you mean?"

"Batman is probably alive", he states after another hesitation.

My heart beat stronger. "He is?", I continue. J'onn does not answer. I think for a moment about the implications. If Batman is alive, he must be either incapable of contacting us or... he does not want to contact us even after three years. Both possibilities hurt and I do not want to delve into which hurts more.

"Do you want me to meet you there?", I ask.

"No, I am only interviewing people who are unhappy to answer me about Batman but won't strike me, at least physically", J'onn answers, "Besides, Diana, you should probably go see the Embassy".

The Embassy. I had let down my duties with the Embassy. J'onn had a point. I should try to keep it together. If Kal can't, at least one of us should go to work.

"I will. J'onn?"

"Yes Diana?"

"Please keep me updated."

"I will".

"Good luck."

"You too."

Luck is almost never in the League's favor. But we also almost never need it. I hope we don't need it yet again.


	17. J'onn J'onzz-Threat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> J'onn J'onzz continues in his search for the truth.

It was slightly disturbing to flick on the batlight on the police headquarter. Even if the sign was one of a bat, this was not Batman being called upon.

"What do you want?", an aggressive voice whispers out of the dark. She had melted in the darkness despite the red adorning her costume. I turn to face the sound of the voice, "To speak with you if you can spare the time." She did not respond immediately, seemingly observing me from the shadows that hid her so well. I can outlast almost anyone in patience and Batman had never been someone fast to engage in a conversation, so I tried the same technique on his cousin.

Finally, after a few moments, she stepped out of the dark to face me, "I'll listen. I won't promise anything more". 

I did not smile, but I did feel better my gambit paid off, "That would be most generous of you, Batwoman." She did not encourage me further and I did not think she would.

"I am searching the truth about Batman's disappearance and current whereabouts", I cautiously explain. As it had been with Jim Gordon, there are no reaction to my statement, as if this was evident for anyone involved. 

"According to Batman's will, you are his sole beneficiary. In his absence, you have his power of attorneys to decide how to use his property. Surely, he must have contacted you since his disappearance three years ago", I continue. She stares at me, "Maybe we should talk elsewhere".

I nod and let her show me the way to one of her hideout, a decrepit house in the middle of the Narrows. Unsurprisingly, it is well-stocked and the security is much better than its exterior appearance. Batwoman gesture to the couch as an invitation to sit. I do. She probably communicated with Jim Gordon before I called her from the roof. That would be the prudent thing to do. At least, they are not letting me start all over again.

Batwoman removed her mask and sits in front of me, meditating on my appearance, "J'onn, you speak of will and power of attorneys, but you are not really here to talk about the gritty business decisions, are you?".

"No", I agree, letting her lead this session.

Her eyes continue judging my capacity under the poorly lit empty room. She seems to reach a conclusion, "If you are really here for the truth about Batman, you are not looking for it at the right place."

I smile, not exactly as a human would, yet similar enough to express my opinion on her statement, "You are wrong. You are the last bat alive, except maybe Batman. Why are you alive?"

Kate leans back, "Well, it sure took you long to ask that question. It has been three years". I continue, "It is not an answer".

"Well then, I will answer as best as I can if you answer me this : why did the Justice League wait three years to investigate my cousin's disappearance?"

That was the issue with dealing with the Batfamily or anyone related, they would always questions someone's motives and secret intention. Somehow, it always left you some doubt that a straightforward issue was not as clear cut as it was presented. Coincidence was never coincidence in their eyes.

The answer who should have come easily did not. Why did we wait three years? I gave her my best answer, "Superman has been keeping an eye out for his heartbeat and has followed every one of Bruce Wayne's supposedly sightings."

"Wonder Woman? You? Flash? Green Lantern? Aquaman?"

I felt I had to tell her the truth or she would not tell me anything, "Wonder Woman received a note from Batman not to look for him. I tried to search for his mind, but he knows how to hide too well and the last incident may have change its familiarity. Flash ran everywhere we knew Batman had an hideout. There was no hints that could be found. Green Lantern used his ring to no avail. Aquaman had kept an eye on the oceans. Batman was not detected by any of us for all those years. Our search had not really stopped".

"So why search harder now?"

"Wonder Woman is worried about Superman's distraction. She thinks the mystery is eating him away".

"So the reason of your search is Superman and Wonder Woman?"

"Yes". She clearly was thinking of something, one hand under her chin. She stared at the table for about 15 minutes before standing, putting her mask back on, "I was never as close as the rest of the Batfamily with Bruce. Bruce felt responsible for the safety of Stephanie, Cassandra, Damian, Dick, Barbs, Tim, Jason and Alfred. He felt all of his love interests were doomed by tragedy, hence Catwoman. He felt no such responsibility toward me". Her eyes shone under the mask, "The person who did it knew Batman quite well, they knew how to hurt him the most. It was not just someone who was ignorant of his ways, because if he or she was, Catwoman would be alive and, I, dead". She turned to leave, putting an hand on the doorknob. "But that is not all you have concluded, is it?", I asked gently, for kindness might make her hesitate. She did not hesitate, but she stilled, her hand on the doorknob. I could feel the moment she made her decision. She did not face me. The feelings repressed inside her surfaced in a rush. Worry. Tiredness. I did not try to delve into them; she would not have appreciated it.

"I probably should not tell you this. But I am tired of hiding marrying Renee. I am tired of this respite we have been given without knowing when it would end. Yes, there is more. A threat cannot be leveled if there is nothing left to threatened. "

"You think you are an hostage for Batman's continued good behavior?", I ask after a moment.

She shook her head, "I am not the hostage. Jim and I are alive to keep her alive and safe." She turns the doorknob and left without waiting for more.

Gotham. The city was the hostage. Whoever killed nine of Batman's closest people could easily destroy a city. But the city needed to be still standing for the threat to be successful. Batwoman and Jim Gordon were Gotham's keepers, stopping the worst damages inflicted on a city recovering from a loss of many superheroes. Batwoman had known that for a long time. That was why she was touched by such worry and tiredness.

The Justice League had made an indifferent show of inviting her to join them last year. The members had not understood the pressure she was suffering nor the reason she did not trust them entirely. Batwoman had only wanted to know : why now? and who pushed for it? What else did she conclude? In the fifteen minutes spent thinking quietly, did she draw a conclusion or did she put another piece of the puzzle together?

The deeper I dig, the more questions I have. I do not even know what to say to Wonder Woman next time she asks for an update. Information is scattered at best, uncertain at worst.


	18. Superman- Submissive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I hid from Lois that some days, I passively floated on an ocean, wishing for stray sharks to bite me, wishing it could hurt me".

"So you think that since you are the big mean Batman, we are just going to march to your orders quietly? No way in hell!" 

I had not known Stephanie Brown or Spoiler much. I had heard her scream at Batman more than once or twice. Batman would almost always sigh and mumble about rebellious teenager. He once told me she was not like Jason. He had been angry and violent in his rebellion; she had a overall dislike of losing her autonomy. She wanted to make the decisions all on her own.

I never told Batman his description of her reminded me of him, that he always did have an innate distrust of organizations, even the Justice League.

"Clark, are you sure you don't want to see a psychiatrist? You have some of the symptoms of being depressed", Lois whispers, worried, during our lunch break. 

My whole life has been a lie. I don't know how to answer her. Say I am fine. Say I am depressed, but would rather not see a psychiatrist since keeping my lies straight would be much harder. Say I hid from Lois that some days, I passively floated on an ocean, wishing for stray sharks to bite me, wishing it could hurt me. I was sure any psychiatrist would diagnostic me as depressed or burn out. It wouldn't be a lie, still it wasn't exactly be the truth. 

"I'm fine Lois", I answer mechanically. She does not believe me because she is not stupid.

She looks hurt by the way I no longer share my burdens with her. She does not understand; some burdens are only mine to carry.

Lois is tougher than me, she can plow through her hurt and attack the problem from another direction, "So, what was the project Perry wanted you to do?"

She always had an instinct to dig up stories. "He wants me to make a reminiscent piece on Bruce Wayne and his disappearance almost three years ago", I answer vaguely. I feel guilty for her worry, I feel guilty for my lies, still I do it, day after day. She sees something is rotting inside me, she knows it has to be stopped. She doesn't understand I want to rot. She can't understand. I love her, I want to spare that part of my life.

She furrowed her eyebrows, "Are you sure you can do it? I can ask Perry to let me do it".

"No, I will do it, Lois. I have to do something. I can't just continue floating around doing nothing". Oups, I just admitted I wasn't only doing heroic deeds when I was away. She doesn't seem surprised. She does follow the news and she probably noticed a long time ago I would disappeared for no superhero reason. I wonder if she thinks I am cheating on her. Most would have concluded that. But then again, Lois is not ordinary.

Her smile is painful. I know I should break up with her since I am a terrible boyfriend. I don't think I can survive losing her now. That is why I don't say the words. I wonder why she puts up with me. Is it pity?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter, but Superman's point of view is kind of depressing. J'onn's will be longer. It will mostly be the two of them for the next few chapters.


	19. J'onn J'onzz- Background noise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone wants to talk to J'onn before he leaves Gotham.

"Did you find what you want'd, Martian?", a voice whispers to me. I turn around to see a woman dressed in tight fitting red, yellow and black costume. 

"I am sorry, Miss, but I do not recognize you", I say calmly. I hear her giggle hysterically, "Of course you know me! I'm Harley! You know the one who was always around Mister J and Ivey?"

Harley Quinn, the villain. Why would she want to speak with me now?

"Oh, so you do frown like a human! Yeah, I do want to speak with you".

"About what?", I ask her politely.

She sighs, "Well, since Bats kind of disappeared all those years ago, I thought Mister J would finally give me his attention. I was wrong. He went bonkers, looking for Bats. You know, he kind of almost declared war on the weird bearded fellow?".

"I am sorry. Who did he almost declare war on?"

"You know, the weird guy who takes himself so seriously?" That still didn't help me figure out who she was talking about. She probably notices my confused expression and pursues, "Also obsessed with Batman? With his snotty spoiled girl?" Was she talking about Talia Al Ghul and Ra's Al Ghul? Harley Quinn smiles at my expression, "Yeah, those guys who wave those swords around with the expression 'I'm so scary'? Well, Mister J almost started a war on them. I think he always wanted to mess their organization because he dislike people with "plans" and who can blame him for hating the bearded guy? He looks so... serious and lame. I mean who wears such..." I interrupt her before she can continue her monologue about someone's beard or clothing, "So what happened?"

She pouts, her hands crossed, like a child denied a candy, "Well they didn't fight, that's what happened. I kind of wanted to use my hammer on all those pretentious..."

"No, I meant, did Joker find Batman?" I explain. She smiles at that idea and laughs, "No he didn't. Serves him right for forgetting me like that. He almost started another fight with Edward when he was looking for Bats. Too bad I couldn't just squish him with my hammer". Edward, was that the Riddler? Where was she going with her story?

"So what did you want to say to me exactly?"

She smiles proudly and puts out her chest and gleefully screamed over the rooftop, "I am now officially a superhero!" I could see people peering through windows at us after a few moments. Some even opened their windows to yell insults at us for screaming about 'superheroes' at the night. Harley screamed even more loudly some colorful insults at them. It went on for some time before the civilians stopped. They could probably feel it was useless.

Harley turns to me, "Oh, where was I? Yeah, I am a superhero, so you might put me in your whatever register you keep".

"Weren't you a criminal?", I diplomatically ask.

She shows me her teeth, "Sure I am. Vigilantes are criminals. Also, being a villain actually is a good way to become a superhero in Gotham". I was not following her logic.

"Isn't it obvious? I know everyone's secret hideout and their personality. I think like them, so it is easy to catch them, you know".

"What do Commissioner Gordon and Batwoman have to say about that?"

She laughs historically before answering, "They are so short-staffed they accept about everyone who offers help. You know, Batwoman accepted me about two years ago when she figured out her time was better used with me out of jail despite my history than putting me in jail and letting gangs continue their little wars. So, yeah, I am a superhero".

"So, you'll do it, putting me in your books?", she asks with one hand on her hip.

"Why did you decide to become an hero?" I instead decide to ask.

She swats dismissively, "Oh that, well, both Mister J and Ivey skipped town. I didn't want to and being a villain in Gotham now is kind of boring. An hero, on the other hand, has much more to do in Gotham. Thought I wanted to give it a wheel and I kinda of enjoyed it, the stimulation or whatever they call it".

"Did you stop killing?"

She smiles while walking to the edge, "Now, that was the hard part about being a hero... I always want to squish the bastards". She jumps down and disappears from my line of sight.

I had the intuition this only ever happens in Gotham. It is true the lines of black and white are always blurring so closely together in Gotham, that grey overshadows the whole town, where heroes become villains and villains become heroes on a whim. I believe I could study the town for the next few centuries and still be surprised at how insanity, good and evil are so... stretched here. The town is too unsettling for me. It is time I go elsewhere before I could be infected with the air.


	20. Superman-Coward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I could not connect with neither the present nor the future.  
> -Superman

Hal was telling me a story about a Green Lantern new rule implemented recently and how ridiculous it was. He always hated bureaucracy. 

****

I had been speaking to Bruce that night about a new Justice League rule when Cassandra or Orphan (since she was still in costume) pulled on my cape. I had turned around and she had said: "Stop talking". With her, compare to Bruce, you could never feel insulted by her abruptness. She was trying to communicate and it was hard for her to find words. 

So I had listened, trying to comprehend why a teenager would tell me to stop talking. She turned her head to Batman and after a moment, I saw her point. Bruce had kept his scowl on, but even with the disguise on, a very attentive person could see the tiniest bits of weariness in the way his shoulders were set and the way his eyes were focused to avoid sleepiness. Bruce frowned at Cassandra and I. He probably knew exactly what she had meant and what I had understood. "Sleep", Cassandra told him nonetheless. He did not move. "Bruce, when was the last time you slept?" Now, it was a definite glare. Under Cassandra's arguments and mine, we managed to convince Bruce to go sleep. Of course, the winning argument had been about waking up Alfred to chastise him to bed. Even Bruce did not want us waking a mildly sick Alfred to disapprove of him. 

When he had gone up accompanied by Cass, just in case Bruce wanted to escape, I heard someone say: "She's a sweetheart, isn't she?". I looked around to see a smug Catwoman swaying her hips in the Batcave. "What are you doing here?", I had asked a bit unnerved; except for Bruce, his "kids" and me, there was very rarely any other costumed persons in the Batcave. Catwoman normally met Bruce on the rooftops and Selina Kyle met Bruce in the Manor. I had never seen Catwoman in the Batcave before. 

She smiled at me, "Probably the same thing as you. I had to talk to him, but since the princess decided he needs to sleep, I'll speak to him later". Her eyes looked hungrily at me. She always had managed to upset me with the ease she can project sensuality so easily. I turned to verify Bruce was not coming back. "You know, she is the most fearless person I have ever met and I met a lot of people", Catwoman continued while coming to a stop a few centimeters from my face. I want to back down, yet I cannot. "Oh, stop frowning, Big Guy, I won't eat you unless... you want me to?" Unsettling. Catwoman knew I was not interested in her so she would tease me all the time. She also probably knew I still liked Bruce. Was that why she was always teasing me? 

***

"So, Clark, what else is new?", Hal asks me in an uncharacteristically gentle manner while taking his beer glass in his hand.

I have to listen to him, I thought. Stop reminiscing.

"I have a new article to write about", I answer guiltily.

"What is it about?", Hal tries to look interested although journalism had never been one of his interests.

I did not want to answer. He raises an eyebrow. "It's about Bruce Wayne", I finally say. He stares at me. I look at the table.

"Look Clark, I am not the closest person to you and I do not know much about you outside of our line of work, but this can't be healthy. Hell, I have about the unhealthiest coping habits of us all and even I think this is too much. It is hard going on when you lose your best friend, I know it is, I have been there. But, this has to stop".

I did not answer. He did not understand. None of them did and I could not explain to them what they were getting wrong. I just couldn't.

"I understand you want to distance yourself from everyone and live in your little bubble. Well, that is impossible."

It was true I wanted to be left alone in my Fortress. There was no answer I could provide him with.

"Hey cheer up, Clark, you just need to hang out with new people. You know what? I know who you should meet", Hal has change his tactics, to pull me out of my melancholy.

"Actually, this is also business. It seems there is a new human Green Lantern. I have never met him, yet Guy, Kyle and John all liked him. Even Guy liked the guy!", he pauses for effect. I do not react.

"So I will meet him tomorrow. Do you want to come? Green Arrow and Zatanna will also be there. They only invited me, but I am sure nobody will have a problem with you being there". Hal's voice was cheery. I knew he wasn't. He was only trying to distract me. I should be thankful.

Hal waits for me, while taking another gulp of beer. "Fine", I say, "I'll go".

Hal smiles and pats me on the back, "Perfect, I'll call you to tell you where the meeting will be taking place". With that, he moves out of the small tavern without a look back.

What a friend I am. We talked about Barry and Bruce for a while before Hal tried to get us to talk about the present. I could not connect with neither the present nor the future. Why do they try to make me anyway? Lois, J'onn, Shayera, Diana and even Hal? Am I acting so poorly?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: J'onn J'onzz-Femme Fatale
> 
> Almost all the hints to the puzzle have been dropped in the past 20 chapters.


	21. J'onn J'onzz- Femme Fatale

Metropolis was light where Gotham had been dark. Yes, there were evil genius, greedy businessman and unethical experiences, but there was no strangling insanity looming invisible as a threat to you. 

For me, Metropolis was much easier to navigate, not only because Superman was always happy to know I was working in his city where Batman would have confronted me about it. No, like me, in Metropolis, everyone was acting normal on the surface while hiding their true nature underneath. It was a veneer Gotham had never gotten around to putting on. In Gotham, everything was suspect from the start.

I sit at a table as a dark skinned woman with brown hair and stylish shoes. This was not one of my normal identities, but such was the issue with meeting the person I had sought out. The noise of the coffee stop completely as everyone except were leaving the coffee shop in an hurry. I should have expected such a response, yet I sometimes forget the class inequality that permits this behavior. 

She saunters in like a queen before her subjects, tall and proud. I could understand why Bruce and her had an history, both at the apex of human resilience and pride. Bruce had always been more fragile than she with the emotional aspects.

She looks at me a long time before taking a seat before me in the otherwise empty coffeehouse, "So, what do you want?"

"I have questions about Batman I am hoping you can answer", I reply leaning forward in a way I hope is nonchalant. 

She is not amuse, "You know, contrary to all the others you have questioned, I do not freely give information. I want a deal".

She would, I think, I hope the price isn't too steep. "And what do you want?"

She pushes a thought towards me and I look it over sadly, "Of course, that I can give you". She acknowledges my acceptance as she leans back, crossing her long legs.

"Talia, you have seen Batman after the event three years ago. Could you tell me about his mental state?"

She hesitates a millisecond before answering, "He was almost mad with grief. He would not fight nor train for a long period before throwing himself completely in training. Because of his guilt towards me, he would stupidly try to be gentle with me. Took me as a lover a few times". 

She pauses, "I hated him".

"Why?"

I see her face shake with an unnamed emotion before she answers, "He made me pitied a man I once loved. Pity is a weakness in our line of work. I hate being weak". 

I had no answer for her anger and sadness so I remain silent. "Any other questions?", Talia asks after a while.

"Have you heard or seen him since?"

"No, I haven't", Talia answers with a tiny hint of weariness. Two years ago, Talia Al Ghul left the League of Shadow to join Lexcorp. She worked very closely with Lex Luthor and the Justice League had kept a very careful eye on the situation. Nothing had yet happened.

Talia looks at me expectantly and I stand up and transform, "Mother", I say. Talia rushes up and takes me in her arms with a wide smile, "Damian, I missed you. Damian, I love you". 

"I love you too, Mother. Can I go now? I have to prove to grandfather I can make my own path in life", I say the words she wants me to say. Taken someone's form after their death and getting the person's interactions has always been painful for me. Yet, sometimes, it helps people deal with their mourning. 

"Just one more moment, Damian and I'll let you go", Talia says, tears almost in her eyes. After a moment, she does let me go with a smile, "Go Damian, be proud, be happy".

"I will make you proud, Mother. I won't disappoint you".

"I know you won't, Damian, I know you won't". Without another word, Talia turns and leaves the coffeehouse. I take back my dark skinned lady form and look at the coffee quietly forgotten on the table. Losing a child always hurt. 


	22. Superman- Irredeemable

After meeting Hal to drink, I couldn't sleep. I always had difficulties sleeping, yet it had exacerbated since I became Superman. Good conscience and sleep are many times associated together. But can I have a clear conscience if I have the weight of the world on my shoulders? I make mistakes that cost people thousands of lives. How can I sleep soundly? My sleep condemns others to death. I don't even need to sleep.

And... No, I won't go there. 

Think of something else.

Catwoman. She had been openly flirting with me in the Batcave after Cass had forced Bruce to sleep and I had caught her hand, "What do you want, Selina?"

Her eyes had shone with glee: "Him". I let her hand go and stepped back as if electrocuted by her straighforwarness: "Then, what does your teasing accomplish?". She crossed her hands over her chest and smirked. No verbal answer. Well, it figures she was dating Bruce. She was used to decoding minimal non-verbal expression.

I had always felt unsure in Catwoman's company since she was always oozing sensually and because Bruce had chosen her. Selina had said, "You know, I am not the one he has the most feelings for. Do you want to know for whom he has the most feelings?". I knew she was teasing me again, yet I couldn't stop myself, "Who?". She smiled pacing elegantly, "Jason Todd". I had stopped breathing, hoping without reason the name would have been mine. Then, it took a moment to register it was one of his son's name. My face must have scrunched together, since she laughed. "Oh, not that way, Big Buy. Feelings. Guilt, love, shame, pride, anger, sadness and hope. Is there someone else that give Bruce hope he is redeemable? Bruce believed Jason is his chance of being forgiven." I had frowned at her, thinking her words over. She was right.

But Jason was gone. Bruce would remain unforgivable forever.

I can't stay on that subject. I have to be smiley and happy or they will know for sure what is wrong with me...And the world will burn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: J'onn J'onzz-Wise Man


	23. J'onn J'onzz-Wise Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> J'onn J'onzz has one last stop before he meets up with Wonder Woman.

"Well, it took you long enough to come", Lex smirks looking into the window in front of him. I know this man is cunning and dangerous despite his studied nonchalance.

In some ways, he reminds me of Batman. Both looking at world, almost omniscient, with an instinct of protectiveness, a haunting determination to change it for the better. Batman does not often admit things to anyone, but he did once say to me he thought he and Lex were parallels of one another; two lines almost veering to the other side, almost touching. Not the same, but not all that different either. If things had been a bit skewed, Lex would have been the superhero and Bruce the villain. Batman had been upset at the time. After all, he had just finish warring against his old friend Lex and they had both been hurt where wounds do not easily heal. I still wonder why Batman had said it quietly to me, while we were standing side by side on the satellite looking at the world and not to his best friend Clark, nor to truth-telling Diana. 

"Have you been waiting for me?", I ask, knowing Lex wanted to unbalance me by taking control of the conversation, because Bruce had often done the same. I was not ready for the ironic roar I hear in response, "Do I seem like the one to wait patiently for something I can get sooner?". I see part of his reflection in the window, his eyes predatory and hard. "No", I respond calmly back, letting him guide the conversation. Man like him are more often outdone by arrogance than by any manipulation I may do. 

A silence. "You are smart. Bruce liked you, you know?", he pronounces with maliciousness, hoping I would understand his allusion of cause and effect between the two statements. I refuse to play this game, "Yes I did. I also know he loved you". A lengthy silence greets my statement and I sense it is in reason of having 'hit a nerve' as humans would colloquially say. Again, Batman never liked talking about his emotions. Lex neither apparently. 

He turns completely, a deep frown on his face, hands still behind him. I sense he is no longer making any feints. "Why are you are here, Martian?", he spouts the last word almost as if it was dirty. For him, who has fought against an alien for longer than the existence of the Justice League, it probably is. I take my time, choosing my words carefully, "I am looking to know what happened to your former friend". He stares at me, his hand clenching the other, "Which one?", he says after I had given up on receiving an answer. There is a tightness in his voice, in his shoulders. It is another hint I do not want to gain. 

"Bruce. What happened to Bruce?", I finally say after a moment. His eyes grow even darker, his jaw clenches, yet he still answers with a deep bitterness, "That is easy. He disappeared. As he disappeared for his training to become Batman. As he always disappears from lives without warnings". Resentment is thick in his tone and posture, as if each of Bruce's disappearance was a personal wound Lex had acquired because of his acquaintance with Bruce. Maybe it was part of the hazards of knowing the elusive man; Bruce was always distancing himself physically or emotionally from everyone. Lex wouldn't admit he was worried, he wouldn't admit he was hurt each time Bruce disappeared without a trace, but he might admit he wanted the knowledge in order for his plans against the Justice League to be fail-proof. Knowing Batman was out there, seeing everything without being seen, must have been an extra worry for villains who thought he wasn't dead.

"Why did he disappear?", I pursue, waiting his analysis. Something akin to hate glimmers in his eyes. "He was hurt. I warned him not to believe. But he did anyway. I was right, wasn't I?", he snorts a ugly sad laugh, his hands finally coming to the front to clutch the desk as if he would sway without it. I could almost pity him. He was sad about Bruce, but he couldn't admit it. He would rather talk about who was right. As if it mattered if both were wronged in the process. For a moment, I imagined Lex as a child, always trying to be right, to be the smartest in order to assuage his loneliness. In some ways, Bruce had been right, he and Lex resembled one another, in some strange twisted way. Imagining Bruce as a young child had also always been painful for me. 

"But then all of you believed and you still try to keep the illusion up. Yet, you know.", Lex said a bit more calmly, with vehement emotions. I feel disturbed by his sudden change. "You won't admit it aloud, but you know. You've always known. Don't deny it. Why else would you ask me?", Lex finishes with an ironic flourish with one hand. I swallow as human do, not liking the direction this was heading to, "Because I needed an outsider's perspective, someone not completely insane, someone who knew Bruce. I needed a wise man". 

"You needed the fool, the wise man and everything in between if the rumors are to be believed", he answers, still frowning at my last reply. "If Bruce is alive, we will save him", I try to finish politely. Lex raises one eyebrow, "Nobody can save him, now or then". He pauses then continues less aggressively, "But you can try". He turns around to observe his city, a clear dismissal of me. 

The lonely back against the glass so much like Batman's looming on Gotham's building or when he would look outside the Watchtower's window. So much to protect, so much to lose, it seems to say. 

It is time to discuss with Diana and confront the truth, like we should have done all those years ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> J'onn has finally finished assembling pieces of the puzzle. Sorry it has been taking so long to get to this point.
> 
> Next: Superman-Loveless


	24. Superman-Loveless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kal remembers his last talk with Bruce before Batman's mission.

I try not to think about it, but it is increasingly difficult not to. 

The last time I saw Bruce before his last mission as Batman, I had prepared the words long in advance, ready to broach the subject with him. As always, it didn't go as expected. 

He had been sitting at the computer in the Batcave, typing something, doing something I did not care about. For a long while, I could only stare at his solid form, dark in darkness, still I could see hints of the man behind the mask, the muscles under the disguise. I couldn't wait too long so I took a sharp inhale and I said, "Bruce". 

Without stopping typing, without looking in my direction, Bruce replied, "Kal, what do you want?". I could hear the echoes his grave sounding growl made in the cave. 

"Do you love her?" 

He didn't flinch or anything, he only answered a resounding "Yes". I swallowed. I didn't think he would admit it that fast. Nonetheless, I went ahead with my plan, "Bruce, could you turn around and say it as Bruce not as Batman?".

For a while, I thought he would ignore me as he was liable to do when I spoke to him in the Batcave. Then I saw him stop, turn the chair around and remove his gloves, not in the most efficient way Batman did nor in Brucie's overly sensual way. It had a hint of sensuality, a dose of efficiency and something more to it. Never before had I thought seeing him remove his gloves would be sexy and intimate. 

After both gloves were removed, his hands carefully detached his cowl, leaving him bare and vulnerable, pale blue eyes fixed on me with more emotions visible in them in seconds than I had seen in years.

"What do you want, Clark?", Bruce's voice commanded with palpable irony, with a voice similar to the tone he used with his sons when they were making trouble. His back was no longer straight in the chair as Batman would have nor was it Brucie's elegant sprawl. It was not even the way Bruce sat at home surrounded by people he trusted. Something at the back of my head told me this was Bruce undiluted, the one nobody saw, the core behind Batman and Brucie, the one you could rarely glimpse diluted in his intimate interactions with his family and friends.

I was stuck speechless by the vastness of Bruce, the way I could, after being his best friend for over eight years, discover his true self, hidden through all levels of disguise and costumes imaginable. Bruce leaned forward, clearly waiting for me, his eyes analyzing my actions with Batman's intelligence and with flashes of emotions the superhero never displays. I felt like a kid doing a class presentation for the first time in front of strangers.

Finally, I whispered, "Do you really love her?". His stare became more accentuated, although I saw his eyes offer some genuine gentleness, "Yes, Clark, I love her. You are the first I tell I will soon ask her in marriage".

There was no doubt, simply a calm enunciation of facts in Bruce's voice. I felt shaken to the core; he loved her. Bruce must have sense my distress, yet he never deviated his eyes from mine, forcing me to recognize the genuineness of his feelings. Heavy teardrops fell from my eyes, dripping soundlessly on the cave's floor. Bruce walked toward me and slowly dried my cheeks with his fingers dancing on my skin. "Clark", he said tenderly, never quite saying anything more. Nonetheless, I sensed his word had a panoply of meanings. I wanted to ask him if he also loved me, but I couldn't. He slowly took me in his arms and let me cry it out, hands clumsily massaging my back. After half an hour, I wiggled out of his comfortable embrace despite Batman's suit trapped between us.

I saw tenderness, worry and sadness in his eyes. He didn't want to hurt me, yet he wanted for things to be clear between us. I lowered my gaze. I couldn't stand his vulnerable tenderness without being ashamed.

His fingers slowly let my shoulders go, one of his fingers barely there touch lingering on my lips, the only hint acknowledging he loved me in the same way I loved him. It hurt worse than Bruce's confession he was marrying Selina Kyle had.

For once, Bruce was not the one retreating in his carapace. I was the true coward as I fled him, leaving him standing alone and vulnerable in his cave. His heartbeat was going at an higher rate than normal.

I had hidden at the Solitary Fortress for a long time afterward, trying to lick my wounds. Finally, Diana had called me in to help against an invasion.

None of them knew what had happened between Bruce and me. After the last mission gone awry, I never told it to anyone, not even Diana or Lois. The shame and pain were too strong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now the tag includes Batman/Superman relationship. It took 24 chapters, but it is finally acknowledged.


	25. Wonder Woman-Absence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "J'onn, I've known things were wrong for a long time. The Lasso burns me every time I use it since Batman disappeared".  
> -Diana Prince

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy. I really liked writing this chapter so I worked extra hard and finished it quite early.
> 
> * Warning some self-harm described.

There wasn't much to do while waiting for J'onn. I had set the water to be heated so I could make tea for my old friend. Alfred had been the one who taught me how to make perfect tea, "Patience and mindfulness are important ingredients to any competent tea making". I smile ruefully at the memory. I hadn't thought of Alfred for a long time.

My mind had been a mess since the Batfamily incident three years ago. I had never admitted it before. I forget things I shouldn't all the times, like Steve's brave death. That man was always facing the impossible with a smile. For once in a long time, I let my memories take over.

"Miss Diana, may I ask what you are looking for?", Alfred had asked. I looked down at the mess I had done in his kitchen. "Sorry Alfred", I said with a smile, "I am looking for a teapot". In two minutes, the man had cleaned up my mess and had found a Grecian looking teapot, "Will this do, Miss Diana?", he had asked. I thanked him and that's how he gave me some tips on how to make tea. 

During that time, he had also broach another subject, "Miss Diana, I'm sorry if I am prodding you, but may I ask one question? I promise I won't take it personally if you refuse to answer". I had to smile at Alfred's prudent questioning, "Ask away, Alfred, I doubt you will ruffle my feathers". So the old butler had looked in my eyes, "Miss Diana, it seems you found love with Master Trevor. Are you happy?". The man had a gift for making you comfortable around him and making you drop your guard. It was the opposite of Bruce. 

I couldn't resist widening my smile, "Of course, Alfred. When he isn't there, I am missing something. Do you understand what I mean, Alfred?". The butler had smiled at me as to a child, although I was older than him, "I understand Miss Diana. Even though it is not the same type of love, if Bruce was gone, it would be a hole in my life, one I could never fill". I gently touched the man's arm. He knew he will probably outlive Bruce, yet he couldn't stop himself from loving him as a son. We had finish preparation the tea and I heard Alfred say slowly, "This might be selfishness, but I am happy you fell in love with someone like Master Trevor this time around. That one will give you much more than Master Bruce could have ever given you". I knew what he meant. I had chased Bruce for a while, trying to open him up forcefully to me. When I realized I loved him for the challenge he gave me, the measure of accomplishment of conquering the untamed, I had step off and let him be in peace. The first time I had met Superman and Batman, I had been attracted to Superman's rightfulness and peaceful behavior while Batman was everything strange and enigmatic about the Men's World: secrets, paranoia, obsession, protectiveness, disguises and plots. 

I now see I had been in love with both colleagues, although I had never acted on my attraction on Superman because he had always been in love with someone else. 

I hear a knock at the door. I walk to the door in a simple pair of pants and a black t-shirt and I open the door to invite J'onn in, in his Detective Jones disguise. I notice his tiredness, his lonely and pained eyes. The last few years have aged him quite a bit, but who hasn't been touched by them? He waits the verbal invitation before politely stepping in my lodging and transforming himself into the appearance he normally uses with the League. 

"You can take a seat, J'onn, tea is almost ready"

"Thank you, Diana", he replies calmly. I know the discussion will be difficult, yet being with J'onn always give me joy. I take the heated water and pour it in the teapot. I bring both the teapot and two cups to the small coffee table in front of J'onn. I sit down in front of my colleague. We look at each another silently until the tea is ready to be poured into cups. When I hand him his cup, he smiles for the first time today, "Thanks Diana". I smile back, "Tea always makes it easier to have difficult conversations. At least, that was what Alfred used to say".

"He must have been a good man", J'onn delicately comments. My smile falters a bit, "Yes, he was". My colleague lets me set up the pace of the conversation and I find it worrisome. "So, did you find him?", I ask knowing J'onn did not, still hoping he would be found. "No", he careful replies, "But I found out something else".

I sigh, feeling the dread this is bringing me and hoping for a release, "What did you find, J'onn?" He studies me slowly, evaluating my level of knowledge, before continuing, "I found out who murdered Batman's family".

An uncomfortable silence follows. I know how people should react to that line of conversation, how I should keep inquiring to look natural, at the same time, I feel sick. Nonetheless, I continue, ignoring my stomach's churning, "Who did it?"

Still keeping his eyes on me, J'onn starts his explanation, "The first real hint was the message you received from Batman". I nod to let him continue.

"Afterwards, I realize the Riddler did give us other hints. Gotham and the Justice League. Then there was the question on everyone's lips: Why did the Justice League look for Batman now?"

He stares at me openly and frankly, "You were the one starting this quest of finding Bruce, weren't you, although Bruce had asked you not to?".

I look at my tea, the water bringing me back to the moment where I chose this path. I swallow my pride, "Yes, I did".

His eyes still gentle, "Why?", he waits, as if he has all the time in the world.

I open my mouth after a long time, my lips trembling, "Kal".

His eyes become even more tender and understanding, "What happened?".

I didn't want to answer that question. Yet, I had denied the Truth too long now. Now, it was time to deliver it, "I found him not long ago in the Solitary Fortress. He had tried... He had the Kryptonite stored there. Apparently for experimental purposes". I fell silent, still looking at the small ripples disturbing my tea. I remember finding him, his wrists opened, pale faced against the floor, blood flowing everywhere, blood on white. I had hidden the pieces of Kryptonite, staunched the bleeding and implanted the Solitary Fortress emergency protocol. I had laid beside him on his bed, caressing his hair, cradling him as the Zeus's gift to humanity he truly was, crying silently what I had almost lost. He laid there silently for the longest time: pale, weary, sad and desperate.

I could sense J'onn's sadness. His was the gentleness encompassing you, tucking you in a warm blanket and telling you stories to make you forget there were monsters under the bed.

"I understand", he tells me. I believe him. It is difficult to react differently to his calming voice, "Did he say why?".

I lift my head, gritting my teeth, "Bruce. He said he needed to see him". The feverish eyes pleading for him, his hands desperately holding too tightly onto me, his incoherent rambling except for his name repeated over and over... Then, in the morning, he had acted as if it didn't happen at all, as if I didn't find him in an ocean of his own blood.

J'onn nods, acknowledging his understanding of the why. He didn't really, because that had just been winning part of the equation. I had told J'onn about the note, yet I omitted my confrontation with Bruce. Both Bruce and Kal broke my heart with the denial of their self-worth.

I had told Bruce, that day so long ago, three years ago, to tell me how I could help. He had grumbled there was nothing I could do. Then, in a fit of anger at his refusal for help, I had used my Lasso on him. It was a mistake. Not only ethically, but also strategically. Batman had once told me to never use the Lasso of Truth on the Joker since madness had a strange way of processing the truth. Bruce, on the other hand, was an expert at lashing out at people who wanted to help and care for him. The truths he told me were... hideous. He started reciting a litany of mistakes I had done or ways I had wronged him or others in order to sever our friendship when I forcefully interrupted him with some yelling, "Bruce, stop that! Just tell me what you need from me! What you want that I can give you! I want to help you!". 

He had stilled, eyes gleaming almost manically in the darkness. Then, in a calm, childish chilling voice, he answered purposely with the Lasso still proudly snaked around his arm, "I need you to let me go. I want you to leave me alone. Don't ever look for me. I don't want your help". Then, his voice transformed into something akin to King Lear's tragic speech after his daughter's death," Why can't you leave me alone? Why can't you let me be happy? Why can't I ever be happy?". He fell apart like a sad string less puppet, eyes unseeing and dry. I had seen Bruce's sadness as the petulant child he had been and the old bitter man he would have become. I caught him and laid him to bed, gently carding his hair. At each stroke, he recoiled to the touch as if repulsed. I cried that night over him, watching him, from a chair, writhing and moaning in his nightmares, probably not so different from reality. I must have fallen asleep because I woke up to an empty bed and Bruce's note.

I knew Bruce really meant what he had said when he asked me to leave him alone. If I found him before he was ready, it might break him. I also knew Kal was breaking apart and he needed to see Bruce. I couldn't respect both of their wishes. So I chose Kal.

Alfred had once said, in the same tea-teaching moment, "Bruce will always be obsessed with his Mission and he will always feel he isn't worthy of any of the members of the Justice League". Alfred had offered me a slight smile, "I am happy you chose Master Trevor".

I chose Kal, since I could be with him after Lois's death. Truth is sometimes ugly, even if I have been the Goddess of Truth.

As the tea cools uselessly in my hands, I remember J'onn and the murderer he had discovered. Another truth I didn't want to acknowledge. Seems it was overdue.

J'onn, kind J'onn, lets me fix my thoughts until I am somewhat presentable. Finally, with a hoarse voice, I continue, "The why of the search has been answered. How did you figure out who was the culprit?".

He explains softly, "There were hints everywhere. First of all, there aren't many persons strong enough to kidnap and murder nine members of the Batfamily without any alarms being raised. None of Batman's villains had that power. Yet, it wasn't just someone who just choose to go against him on a whim, since that person had intimate knowledge of Catwoman's relative importance to Batman compared to Batwoman's. Riddler had said the Justice League and Gotham were acting weirdly. Gotham is still linked to Batman, that is probably why there is some weird movements there. It is probably part of Batman's plan. In that case, I had to ask myself: is the Justice League also acting strangely? And why?"

Most members of the Justice League forget J'onn is a very capable detective, since Bruce was better at it than him. They forget J'onn probably learned some things from him over the years and the fact that J'onn is good at being forgotten. In moments like now, I wish he was not that good of a detective, because he is getting too close to the Truth I fear.

He pauses to let me get caught up on his reasoning, "I decided to look back at our behavior since the Batfamily's murders. Superman is clearly disturbed and distracted. You are forgetting things all the time. I have being distancing myself from humanity more and more. Flash and Aquaman have distanced themselves from the League. Flash fears the League. He only spoke to Aquaman at the meeting, since he also retired himself from the League at the same time. Hal had been out of Earth during that period so he didn't change much. Hawkgirl discovered her true love in that period and was otherwise distracted. It is evident we almost all know there is something profoundly wrong with the Justice League".

"None of us wanted to deal with it. So, I had to ask myself: Is it possible a member of the Justice League is the murderer? It would explain why Batman had asked you not to look for the truth, not to use your Lasso, since you would catch the murderer quickly and Batman didn't want that".

He was getting somewhere very dangerous. I couldn't stop him so I sat and listen, itching for a fight rather than the rest of the talk.

"That was another strange thing, through all of Bruce's pain that day, I did not sense he wanted revenge. It was another hint the culprit might be someone of the League. I looked at our members and noticed there was two members fast enough to catch nine members of Bruce's family and murder them in front of him without anyone noticing. Yes, all of us had alibis, but one person had access to replicas of himself that would have been a perfect alibi".

No, no, no, don't let him finish...

"There was one member of the Justice League who was fast enough to do it. Who could create the perfect alibi. Who knew well enough Batman to choose the victims that would hurt the most. Who could have convinced anyone of the Batfamily Batman needed their help now. Who everyone would have believed. For whom Batman would have lied to us".

J'onn didn't lower his eyes. He continues unrelentingly if not kindly in his destruction of the League and the principles it stand for. He was willing to look where all of us had decided not to, to analyze the facts laid bare before him. My hands were shaking, the cold tea spilling over them. I didn't care. J'onn was breaking my world apart and tea only ruined my clothes.

"Finally, it would explain why Flash is scared of the League, why Batwoman is avoiding us, why she sees Gotham as an hostage, why Jim Gordon lies to us, why Joker asked about Superman... Why you decided to search for Batman now... Why Talia Al Ghul joined Lexcorp, why Lex was nervous when I asked about an old friend of his, why Lex thought we knew and ignored it, why Lex mocked Bruce's believing in something and getting hurt... Because, Bruce, despite his usual reservations, wholly believed in Superman".

The cup broke in my hands and I didn't care about the shards hurting me. J'onn was forcing me to accept much worst. To accept the fact one member of the Justice League had murdered the nine persons who meant the most to another member. That Kal tortured and murdered Bruce's family in front of him. That we had all left it alone for three years although we could all sense the truth in some ways or other. That I had been forcing myself to forget.

He looks at me with quiet understanding, "Do you understand, Diana?"

"J'onn, I've known things were wrong for a long time. The Lasso burns me every time I use it since Batman disappeared. But I didn't want to face the truth. I have to now.", I spite out, angry at myself, my hands holding to the chair as if for dear life, blood smearing everywhere.

He smiles sadly, "Then, we have a lot of work to accomplish, Diana". I nod. I know we made a mess of a bad situation. My stomach churns with disgust. I hope the League can still be salvaged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The mysteries are not over yet, but I had been thinking about this chapter for a very long time. Hope you like the reveal.
> 
> And the Trinity is really a mess of emotions and tangled love...


	26. Superman-Disown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I killed Bruce's and Batman's legacy last."

I had never thought I wanted to murder them brutally, but I did murder them. I had thought killing Dick, who was almost my son, would have been the worst murder for my conscience. 

I had been wrong. Damian had been so much worst to kill. 

I can still remember Bruce's phone call in the middle of the night. 

"Bruce?", I had answered sleepily. There had been a long silence on the other line. 

"Is there something wrong?", I had continued, now thinking of villains and dangers. 

"I have a son", Bruce had answered slowly almost scared of the words he said. I didn't get it at the time, "Yeah, you have three of them... Did something happen to Dick?". 

"No, you don't understand. I have a biological son", Bruce's voice had quavered, something I had only heard at Jason's death. I had felt jealousy and dread burning in my chest and I had still asked him, "Who's the mother?". 

Bruce didn't want to answer. I could feel it from the way his hand was clutching the telephone, from the way I could sense he closed his eyes, "Talia". For a long moment, I had searched in my memory for a supermodel named Talia who had once dated Bruce. Then, it had clicked. Talia Al Ghul. The one who had taken Bruce's contingency plan for the Justice League and had given it to her father... One episode of mine and Bruce's history I preferred to forget. 

I had to inhale and exhale a few times before speaking, "You have a son with Talia Al Ghul?". He sighed. "You let your son stay with the League of Shadow!", I almost yelled angry at his betrayal, at his neglectful decision concerning his son. "I didn't know", he told me quietly. 

"But you didn't wear a condom? What is with you and villains, Bruce?"

His voice became a growl, "This has nothing to do with me and Catwoman!". 

I had been too aggressive, I had to backpedaled, "Sorry Bruce. It's just a lot to take in. You have a son with Talia Al Ghul. How old is he?". 

For some time, I heard him breathe in the phone, still clutching too hard the phone, "Ten". He knew I would calculate the time he was conceived, around the Tower of Babel incident's time.

"Is he healthy?", I asked in gentle voice, the type of voice Bruce would most likely answer me. 

"Physically? Yes. Mentally? He tried to kill Tim tonight and he killed a villain just because he thought it would please me". 

I took that in. Bruce had inherited a murderer as a son. In some ways, it made sense. Bruce had trained under some very dangerous killers, all taking their knowledge to use it against them. If a villain would send Bruce an apprentice to learn all of Bruce's techniques and to use it against him, it would make sense in a karma kind of way. 

Over time, I had learned Damian was traumatized, dangerous, and abnormal, a bit like Cassandra Cain. But as for her, he was becoming better, more balanced. Damian was becoming saner than his father probably ever was. 

He looked like his father, except for the eyes, who were harder and less desperate than Bruce's. 

For all the others, it had been simple. I had had only to say Bruce or Batman was in trouble and needed their help now. I had thought Red hood would have fought. He didn't. He had only growled, "What are you waiting for? That I grow flowers?". 

Damian probably had some Kryptonite on him. Nonetheless, he had looked me over with his glare and had asked to be brought to his father's side. When I came into the cave with Damian, Bruce stared at us, despair plainly etched across his feature, his hands pounding on the invincible glass. I had taken out Damian's pouches, holding him like villains did with hostage, looking at Bruce directly in his eyes. Originally, I had thought I would spare Damian, because I could see a bit of Bruce in him and he could be used as blackmail. Yet, I knew it wouldn't work: no bats would ever let Bruce sacrificed himself for them for years to come. With regret, I had ripped apart Damian before his father's eyes. 

I killed Bruce's and Batman's legacy last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the last chapter about the nine victims killed three years ago. 
> 
> Chapter 10-Superman-Despair = Dick(hope)  
> Chapter 13-Superman-Weakness= Barbara (resilience)  
> Chapter 15-Superman-Faithless= Tim (loyal)  
> Chapter 18-Superman-Submissive=Stephanie (rebellious)  
> Chapter 20-Superman-Coward=Cass (courageous)  
> Chapter 22-Superman-Irredeemable= Jason (redeemable)  
> Chapter 24-Superman-Loveless= Selina (loved)  
> Chapter 25-Wonder Woman-Absence= Alfred (presence)  
> Chapter 26-Superman-Disown= Damian (legacy)


	27. Green Lantern-Best Laid Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Since that day, a lifetime ago, I had always thought love was intertwined with death so intrinsically they couldn't be separated."  
> -Green Lantern

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had some time this week, so enjoy the second chapter of this storyline in one week. Don't get used to it.

Ollie, normally so joyous, is somber and depressed as is Dinah. He wouldn't tell Zatanna or me what was wrong. I didn't press. I couldn't. 

We are still waiting one person to start this get-together party. So I wait in one of Ollie's safe-house with a drink on hand and my smile on the other. Another mask I learned a long time ago to put on. I think I forgot how to make a real smile. But now is not the right time for that. Think about the plan. Every pieces are slowly coming together. Everything is almost in place. 

My reports about Ollie and Dinah were exact. Since I had last spoken with Ollie and Dinah, they both had gotten older and jaded. But they had one another. I saw that spark each time they would gaze at the other. 

Since that day, a lifetime ago, I had always thought love was intertwined with death so intrinsically they couldn't be separated. Now, I think it is more of a void, a proof I had been wrong in believing I could be happy, in spite of everything. I had decided not to fall in love, then, I hadn't followed my plan through, because my resolve had faltered and my heart had grown weary. I thought I could be happy. It was the illusion that destroyed me.

Zatanna looks at the clock, "He's still not here. Should we start without him?"

"Oh, he's not Flash, if he doesn't have a mission, he should be here in time", Ollie says, obviously worried.

"I look forward to seeing him. I heard so much about him from the other Lanterns, especially Guy", I reply with a sly grin.

Dinah smiles at me in a mildly concerned manner, "You listen to Guy?"

"Hey, despite his macho behavior, he is still an incredible person", I respond with a raised eyebrow. Zatanna laughs at me. I grin back.

"You're such an good man", she smiles, tilting her head to get a better look at my outwardly relaxed face. My features don't change, but I want to respond that I am not, that I am really a selfish man.

"The world always needs more of those", Ollie pronounces distractedly, watching the door. Don't I know. Dinah lays a hand softly on her husband (or ex-husband?)'s arm, "He is fine, Arrow, don't worry". He smiles at her sadly as if they often have these discussions. They probably do.

"Guys!", Hal yells, knocking on the window and opening it from the inside with a construct, "I've got a surprise guest for you!". I look beyond Hal and I see him. I control myself well enough not to let anything show, not to let my heart change. Don't react. I grin at Hal, put down my drink and offer him a hand as a fan would, "Hey, you must be the famous Hal Jordan I've heard so much about!".

Hal takes my hand and shakes it with a genuine smile, "Likewise. You must be Glen?". Hal hasn't changed much. He still upsets my best laid plans with some last-minute improvisation. Don't be angry at him. It is not his fault.

He stops breathing, forgetting his facade of humanity, just this side of the window. He frowns, trying to figure out what is wrong.

"Superman, please meet the new Green Lantern, Glen", Hal turns to him.

He hovers slowly toward me, inhuman blue eyes assessing me carefully, "I know you... Don't I?", he asks me as if he is in a trance.

I can still try to convince him otherwise. "Yes! You are Superman! You saved me some years ago... well, before I became a Lantern", I say excitingly, as a frantic fan in the presence of his idol would. Adoration and awe as the masses give him.

He hovers closer, examining me again, a scowl forming on his otherwise smooth face. Ollie, Dinah and Hal look at me suspiciously, each taking a defensive position and hands inching to their weapons of choice. Zatanna is confused.

He switches to X-Ray vision. I recognize it in his body language. Time for some improvisation.

I put on my second ring and I attack him with the green ring and the yellow one, encasing him in spheres of green and yellow interwoven together, while creating walls between the other three and me, "Magician, he's the one!".

Thankfully, Zatanna doesn't attack me. The other three attack me with their arrows, fists and constructs. They don't understand he is the danger here. But, then again, I didn't either, back then.

"He's the one who's cursed!", I yell at her before it's too late.

He destroys my constructs and punches me hard in the wall. He presses his forearm on my chest, holding me pined uselessly to the wall and almost begs me, "You... Who are you? What do you want?", his eyes searching mine. A few bruised ribs, no broken bones. I have no time for this.

Zatanna starts, "I..." before lines of blue and red head towards her. On reflex, I form a construct in yellow to protect her. Yellow lines blow past the blue and red lines.

"Not so fast", Hal says gripping my arm in his hand. Bad timing.

"Hal, don't you see it", I grit between my teeth, "he's trying to kill her". I make a green construct appear between he and me, pushing him off.

He's still racing after her. I have no choice, I have to give her time, I think as I stand tall, steadying myself.

"Clark", I say as I wipe the blood from my mouth, no longer modulating my voice. He stops. So do Hal, Ollie and Dinah with their mouths hanging open, hands frozen in unfinished moves.

My yellow Flash construct also stops with Zatanna in his arms, becoming a protective sphere around her. She's key here.

He shakes, clearly divided between trying to reach her, yet yearning to touch me. "You're alive", he whispers softly, voice trembling, as if I'm his wish come true and he can't believe it. I flinch.

Use your wiles, my mind says, you have to buy time for Zatanna. I do something I haven't done in a very long time. I do something I thought I could never do again. I smile at him with sincerity.

He painfully cries my name, tears welling in his eyes, "Bruce".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 30,000 words after the beginning, it is finally confirmed Bruce is alive and active (and a Green and Yellow Lantern). 
> 
> *I apologize if there are mistakes in the way the constructs are made in my storyline. I have no idea how Lanterns materialize their constructs except for willpower and concentration. I may exceed their limits for the purposes of this story.


	28. Zatanna- Dissonant magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "So, in a slit second, I envision the world that will never be."  
> -Zatanna

I had not been ready for the explosion of activity this meeting had produced. Glen had asked me to help him meet Green Arrow, Black Canary and Green Lantern. Superman had been a nice surprise. Or so I had thought before everyone went mad and Glen was Bruce. 

I had met him many times as Glen. I never thought the green haired, black eyed, skinny looking smiling prone Glen could be muscled, black-haired and blued-eyed reclusive Bruce. But he was. 

And when I had just figured that out, Bruce smiled. 

An horrible smile. A smile that shouldn't exist. A smile that opened possibilities... A smile that reminded me of Bruce before his parents' death.

So, in a slit second, I envision the world that will never be. 

Bruce growing up, wanting to be a doctor, rebelling against his father's way at eighteen and traveling the world to become a "perfect" doctor capable of curing everything. He would spend some time in Asia, but he would also try to become an artist with his hands by studying under my father. We would have met once again, and Bruce's mission would not push me away for this time, the darkness wasn't so bad. We would still go on our separate ways, Bruce gaining renown in medicine, me in magic, sometimes meeting, never crossing long.

I think the cataclysm would have been Dick. I had been in Gotham the night of the accident and if Bruce had leaned less on his past, he would have invited me, not another model to hide his darkness. We would have seen Dick's parents die. Bruce's heart would have still broken, I would have taken his hand and he would have decided to adopt Dick on the spot, like he had done. Since it had started with Dick, I would have had a more integral part of his history. He would have met the League through me and intimidated everyone there while seeking their approval to experiment on them. This would have freaked out Superman and Flash.

Bruce would never have been passive, as he would run on battlefields to help the wounded, be a different kind of hero. My kind of hero. We would argue about magic and science and Dick, Alfred and Bruce's parents would all have voted for whomever was more persuasive. I would spend more and more time in Gotham and he, more and more time with his family. We would have been happy.

But he wasn't destined to be like that. I can sometime decode destiny even if Bruce never believed it exists. His destiny was one of the clearest I've ever seen: meant for darkness, death, madness, love and greatness.

Bruce had smiled with sincerity, a better actor than I knew he could be, a better liar than I thought possible. A small glance in my direction and I knew it was a diversion, like I had deducted. Bruce was a dangerous liar, with which you could feel the whole world change in meaning if he wanted to. An exceptional illusionist, better than me in twisting his own warped vision of the world.

I knew I must depart or Superman would murder us. So with one last glance at Bruce, I spoke "Dnes neerG worrA, kcalB yranaC, neerG nretnaL dna em ot eht eno ohw desruc namrepus" and we were gone, leaving Bruce and Clark together.

I shiver as we are transported. Who would curse Superman and why? What did the curse do? Bruce had trusted me to find the answer and to unraveled it. Although facing someone so dangerous was scary, was it the right choice to leave Bruce and Clark together? I believe that was what Bruce had wished for. Somehow that was even more disturbing than reassuring...

Please don't become a monster, old friend, I pray uselessly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is so short. This is an in-between chapter to help transition the action. The next few ones should be a bit more interesting.


	29. Hal Jordan- Worst Curse-Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hal Jordan and Green Arrow are sent somewhere they don't belong.

Zatanna spouted something weird and everything flashes until I open my eyes to see Gods looking down on me. Greek Gods to be exact. Angry Greek Gods to be even more exact.

"Who are you mortals to defile our sanctuary?", a beautiful goddess asks from her throne. Oh shit. Seriously, Zatanna?

"Uh, we are heroes of the world. We have been sent on a quest...", Green Arrow answers from behind me. Thank God he is here. Thank Gods he is, I mean. 

"Heroes?", an archer Goddess (Artemis?) asks. I really should have studied more Greek mythology. 

"Wonder Woman is our colleague. We will ask her to join us for this discussion", Green Arrow continues, subtly glancing at the room for an exit. 

Before the Gods can react, I call Diana on my comm, "Diana? We have a bit of crisis here... Can you help?"

I hear an angry sounding Diana responding, "Where are you?"

"I think we have somehow managed to get to Olympiad", I whisper back under the Gods' watchful glance.

I hear no answer from my comm. Green Arrow tries to appeal to the Gods, "Actually, our quest seems to be finding out who cursed our friends. Since Zatanna sent us here, I'm guessing one of you did it". 

At that conjecture, angry voices rose from the Gods, mutterings about killing us or punishing us by making us roll a boulder up forever. Seriously? That is punishment? Wait until you have to catch criminals every day and catch them the very next day. That is the definition of pointless. 

Before the Gods could arrive at an consensus, Wonder Woman appears before us, clad in all her Goddess-like apparel. She presents her greetings in a strange fashion and apologizes on our behalves. The Gods relax somewhat. 

Diana turns to us with an anger still very present. Green Arrow interrupts her before she can chides us, "Batman is alive. He said Superman is cursed. Zatanna sent us here probably because it is linked with the curse".

Diana's face morphs from hope, sadness, anger as well as many emotions, too quick to see. I still don't understand all that. Batman alive. Superman cursed. Zatanna... What is going on?

Diana composes herself before returning to the Gods around us, "We are on a quest to discover who cursed Superman. Do any of you know who cursed him?"

The Gods deny it. But I see one of them hesitates. I point to her, (probably a bad move in retrospects) and say, "You reacted differently. You know something, right?"

One God with yellow hair starts accusing me of being impolite, but I notice Diana and Ollie study the same Goddess as I do. 

The beautiful Goddess responds, "I did not curse Superman. I blessed him". 

Diana freezes and Ollies mutters, "God, no... Don't tell me...". I don't understand. Maybe because I don't know which Goddess she is. 

The other Gods look at the Goddess and the first Goddess who spoke speaks again, "You promised not to do it again after the Troy war, Aphrodite". 

"Hera, he helped Wonder Woman save one of my sons. I blessed him in love in recompense. How could that be wrong?", the Goddess named Aphrodite replies proudly. 

Love? Superman was cursed (or bless) in love? How is that a curse?

Diana answers in a very tight voice, "The last time you blessed someone with love, it started the Troy war that lasted for years. You blessed Superman in love in the same way and you believed it wouldn't have bad effects?"

Aphrodite didn't seem remorseful, "I could feel Superman was thinking of love very intensely. I only blessed him that his love would be reciprocated. That he would be loved. That he would love so much no obstacles would stand in his way". 

Ollie seemed sick and Diana was trembling in anger. I still didn't understand. Superman was granted blessings for love. Okay and?

Diana stood tall, "Aphrodite, you blessed Paris with love with the prettiest woman ever. Both Paris and Helen were married to someone else. You blessed Superman with love. The one loved was taken and so was Superman. You helped release the disaster that came with it". 

Then, it hit me. Batman. Aphrodite thought Batman was Superman's love and blessed them. But Batman probably denied it to Superman, as he always does with feelings and this drove Superman mad. He "removed" the obstacles, so anyone Superman thought Batman loved more than him, be it the same type of love or not. Batman saw Superman destroy his family in front of him, yet according to Aphrodite, he was blessed with love for Superman so... He lied to us. 

I felt sick. Really, really sick. This was disgusting. 

Diana demanded in all her glory, "Remove that blessing, Aphrodite. That blessing you gave ruined many lives and will continue doing so".

The Gods didn't seemed enthusiast she was ordering one of them, yet they had some sympathy for her, since a God's gift had been an poisoned one. 

Aphrodite almost pouted, "It is as you will. I have removed the blessing. Now go, before you all face my displeasure".

Diana didn't thank her. All of us got teleported back to the Watchtower. 

"We have to find Bruce and Clark", Ollie finally says after a long silence. 

"Good idea", Diana replies, all tensed and angry. Leaving Bruce with his family's killer seemed a bad idea in retrospects. But who knew Superman had been the one to murder them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize this might not follow Wonder Woman's comics rules about the Gods.


	30. Clark Kent-Bruce

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The darkness around me laughs in a mix of Joker's and mine, twisted amusement and sincere mirth."  
> -Clark

Bruce smiles at me. There are nothing I could think of except of that, tears trailing my cheeks. Bruce was back. Bruce was smiling. 

The whole world could explode and it wouldn't matter.

I ran towards him, almost taking him in a hug, but stopping arms outstretched, encircling him, not touching. No touching Bruce without his permission. 

His smile stays brilliant as he raises his hand toward my face and slips a necklace over my neck. I see the blue Kryptonite gleaming on it and it doesn't matter, since I'm already blind to everything except Bruce, I'm already weak enough to be killed by him. He could simply ask me to die and I would. 

His smile becomes so much more interesting after the Kryptonite is on me, twisted and dangerous like a feral sick wolf at his prey. I feel pride welling in myself, as I lower my arms, passively waiting for whatever punishment Bruce would give me. 

He doesn't touch me. He activates his yellow ring to construct a platform below our feet and to transport us for some time until we reach a cavern in the middle of nowhere and he enters without a backward glance. He knows I'll follow him everywhere now, that I'll never take my eyes off him for a moment or he'll escape again as he did back then. 

His green light illuminates the cavern and we walk in silence, me behind him, looking at his back and wondering how this will play out. We finally arrive at a large chamber with one chair in the center of it. Nothing else civilized is the room filled of stalagmites crowding the room. He gestures to the chair and I take it, seating comfortably and excited in the wood chair, waiting for the show. 

Bruce stares at me a long time with a blank look before he shuts his green light. I see his eyes gleaming from the darkness, observing me like a cat with the prey he is toying with. I shiver. Bruce is a an expert at setting a scene. He probably took the talent from Alfred. 

He still doesn't speak, nonetheless, I have no problems with that. I waited three years for this, so I can wait more while sensing his presence looming in the all encompassing darkness surrounding us. In a way, despite not seeing at all, I see him more than I've ever seen him, more than during his confession he was marrying Selina. 

"Clark", he drawls with a morbid mirth. 

"Clark", he repeats as if he like repeating things over and over, "Do you know I'm a cursed man?"

I don't answer. He doesn't want me to. This is his scene, probably the only monologue he would ever do. Pride wells again in my chest. 

"I attract evil. I draw their eye and they want to own me, to destroy me", he whispers while stalking me in the dark room, eyes disappearing from my sight.

"First, there was Chill. He told me, when I found him all those years ago, that when he saw me, he knew he could affect something much bigger than himself, make an indelible mark on this world through me. He didn't understand what was required of him. Killing my parents wasn't premeditated by him, it was my fault for attracting his attention".

I could hear Bruce's bestial smirk and irony dripping from his tone. 

"Then, there was kidnappers and pedophiles vying to get me without understanding why me specifically. Alfred always defended me like my knight would, protecting me from the evil that wanted to claim me. I thought he was blessed enough to counter my curse".

I hadn't known that pedophiles and kidnappers had been the bane of young Bruce's life. 

"In high school, I met Lex and on my adventures with him and Ollie, we found mafias, killers, thieves... They were drawn to me like moths to a fire. And Lex became so obsessed with me it almost destroyed the both of us". 

I knew that. I had been jealous of both of them when I was sent back to the past. 

"I traveled and I found the best assassins to train me... Ra Al Ghul and Henry Ducard. Both saw my potential. Both took me as their students, fascinated by something I didn't understand. Both of them wanted me to inherit their practice, to be their dark legacy to the world".

Bruce voice was now projected from the other side of the room, yet I knew it didn't mean anything, Bruce was a ventriloquist when needed. Still, the voice was not his usual controlled calm, this was eerily and uncontrolled calm. 

"I came back to Gotham to fight directly evil and they became even more attracted to me. Poison Ivy. Riddler. Hush. Bane. Hugo Strange. And Joker. They all wanted to own me, to destroy me in some way or another".

Batman's rogue gallery were clearly the craziest, most dangerous and more obsessed villains from any superhero except maybe Lex Luthor, but then again, he had also been obsessed with Bruce. 

"Joker was the reason I really started to wonder why they were attracted to me. He was... dangerously obsessed with making me lose control. He wanted me to kill him. He killed Jason for that purpose. He maimed Barbara and he ridiculed Jim for that. He almost destroyed the city multiple times and killed more innocents then I can count. And he always said it was because of me, that it was for me, like a courting gift to a lover". 

Bruce's voice was now pleasant and airily, as if he was telling how Tim was the best in class or how Damian's drawings were more and more instilled of genuine love. I clench my fist. This was wrong. 

"I hoped I was not the problem creating those evil or egging them on. So, I fought again and again". 

He breezes through that explanation, making some sound as he walks around the chair, never in a discernible pattern. 

"Now, you probably think I'll talk about you being attracted to me because you are evil", a lover's whisper could be heard by my ear, "But I won't". 

I am confuse. He took me to a cavern to recount how he thinks he is cursed, how everyone of his villains are attracted by him, how evil seek him out, but he won't put me in that category after I killed all his family?

"I know villains' mentality much better than you, Clark. Lex was too wise to play with fire with me. Ra's and Henry too pragmatic. Joker wasn't. You are like Joker in that regard, you want me to imprison you here in the dark forever, to torture you and kill you. You want me to kiss you and touch you. You want to own my life and destroy me. You want me to think only of you".

Now, Bruce's distant voice was filled with polite amusement, like Alfred would do after making a comment negating one of Bruce's arguments. 

"But I won't. I will punish you in the most cruel way".

I was impatient to know of his punishment. He was the most dangerous and ingenious man on Earth, so whatever punishment he thought of would be terrible.

"You'll marry Lois, have children and grandchildren with her. You'll continue to protect the Earth as Superman until you die, probably centuries from now on".

His tone was sweet as honey, his footsteps had stopped. He had gone too far. I have to play my cards now, "Bruce, I killed your family under a curse. Why would you punish me? Why would you tell me how to live? What if I want to marry you?"

He laughs like this is joke, like I am the punchline. Then, as abruptly, he stops, "Clark... I thought you were smarter than that. Of course you were cursed and of course I know this curse forced you to act in such a way. But when you'll be cured, you won't love me. You'll love Lois. As you've always loved her".

I was angry. He was mocking me; he must have known what percentage had been my own will and what percentage was the curse's effect, yet here he was pretending he didn't know that. He also pretended he didn't know I still loved him.

"Of course, Clark, soon Zatanna will be your white knight breaking the horrible curse and you'll be the Boy Scout you always were...".

I thought he was mocking me, but was he? Did he know? Did my murdering his family break him apart so much he didn't want to see the truth? Doubt enters my mind.

"And you, Bruce?", I ask uncertain where this is going.

I hear his pause, not an hesitation, just a pause to let me wonder.

"Me? Oh Clark... It should be evident. I'll stick around the Justice League, but not as Batman. Then, in a few years' time, I'll die".

My heart lurches at that. He'll die and leave me alone again. I clench my fists, "No you won't, Bruce. You'll live longer than me". I want to stare him down, but now, he is darkness in the room, not a person. He must have heard my angry denial.

The darkness around me laughs in a mix of Joker's and mine, twisted amusement and sincere mirth, "Clark, didn't I talk about cruel punishment? You are not evil, Clark, your punishment is a chance at redemption".

In that moment, everything stops. I stand up and try to face him wherever he is in the darkness. "No. Bruce, NO!", I scream at the reverberating walls. I yell again and again that I won't stand for it, that I won't meekly return to being weak Clark Kent enamored with Lois, nor the world's hope named Superman. After a while, my throat becomes dry and constricted. I fall on the chair, broken, crying.

He is truly a cruel man.

Is there a punishment worst than resuming our friendship, pretending I'm not a monster to the world, even after his death? He wants me to play the good guy forever. He knows I'll do it just for the possibility of redemption, because nothing else will touch him. I could have caged Bruce three years ago and made sure he couldn't move. I wouldn't have been happy with just a part of Bruce, I wanted everything, and he knew it. He probably has a plan to force me to go through his plan : to make me continue my part even after his death.

The blue Kryptonite shining on my chest makes me feel heavier than ever. I weight down on the chair for a long time, water dripping from the ceiling and from my cheeks. I sniffle. But Bruce hasn't finished yet.

Bruce's voice whispers almost tenderly from everywhere at once, "Do you want to know why I told you about my curse, Clark?". At this point, I know I'll be his slave forever, I nod my head obediently.

"Clark, they all saw I could be the best villain ever".

I look up and I see his eyes gleaming manically in the dark.

"You, Clark, on the other hand, if you ever decided to become a villain, you would either make order and discipline everywhere or destroy everything. You have no imagination. You want to rule or destroy. You are missing so many nuances..."

Bruce's tone has returned to sugary sweet, a tone I have never heard from him before today.

"You are not twisted nor mad enough to envision more".

Bruce had made a point I had never thought of before. It was true, villains could probably see through him, could see the genius master schemer, the madman per excellence, the emotionally broken man and death's morbid fascination in him. Truth was, I love all of his qualities, madness included.

"So, Master Bruce", I say in my best mockery of Alfred's voice, trying to rattle him, "What do you want from me now?"

I heard the almost fond smile in his mad scratchy voice, "Wait. They will rescue you from your curse and you'll return to your normal savior and usual everyday man routine..."

I wait another moment, wanting to upset him, to get a reaction other than madness or amusement, "For whom did you cry most? Dick? Damien? Alfred? Jason? Tim? Selina? Stephanie? Cass? Or Barbara?".

His eyes, the only light in this darkness, still look happy in a strangely unnerving way, he answers calmly, "Dead men don't cry".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had a lot of fun writing it.


	31. Black Canary-Worst Curse- Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Once gone, some things can never be returned as it was."  
> -Black Canary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry. I didn't forget this story and A (Small) Grudge. I was more or less busy with other works.

Zatanna mumbles something and she and I appeared in a dark tunnel. I recognize this place instantly: this is Gotham's sewer system.

This is one of the worst places to be. Not only disgusting but highly dangerous. In other cities, stories about the sewers are grossly exaggerated. In Gotham, not so much. It is true a mutant lizard wanders down here. It is true corpses are sometimes seen floating around with missing limbs. It is true black magic rituals take place here. Barbara had given me just enough information to disgust me with Gotham's sewer system forever.

I did come here a few times and I hated it each time. Fighting in sewer water is not recommended for one-on-one hands fighter like me. Besides, cleaning myself up afterward takes forever.

"Zatanna, why are we in Gotham's sewer system? And where are the others?", I ask my colleague.

"I sent us where the person who gave Superman the curse is. There might be two of them. That would explain why Green Arrow and Green Lantern are elsewhere", she responds with a grimace.

"The person who cursed Superman lives in the sewers?", I answer.

Zatanna nods.

"Shall we flush him out?", I ask with glee.

"You don't need to", a squeaky voice says from behind me. I turn with my fists ready.

It's Klarion with his cat around his leg. He just looks at us uninterested, "Why are you seeking me?"

"You cursed Superman," Zatanna accuses.

The boy-man replies with a chuckle, "Well, that sure took you long to figure it out. His blessing was... such a curse, I barely added anything to it."

"What did you do?", I ask warily, fists still high.

He waves in the air, producing sparks, "I only added more tragedy."

This was going in circles, so I took him up by his lapels, "You better explain yourself".

Again, he laughs at me, "Or you are going to beat me up? I think not." Zatanna sends me a warning glance as she came forward, "No. But I am more powerful than you. Want to verify it?"

He frowns at her, clearly more afraid of her than me. I would have been insulted if it wasn't because of magic.

He shrugs, "Fine. I did curse Superman. Anyone who came to know of the 'blessing' would be killed by Superman, Kryptonite or not, except for his lover and me. I also help twist his mind so that if his lover comes to die, Superman would rip the universe apart."

I look down on the magic user, disgusted by this being, "Why would you want that?"

"I was bored."

He continues, "But it didn't work. I also gave a push for Superman to be his lover's exclusive interest. He probably started driving everyone away from his lover. By now, I thought Superman would have been either cured or destroying our universe. I thought my curse was strong enough."

I shiver. I remember Superman trying to kill Zatanna. How can Zatanna be still alive? It didn't make sense

"What was the blessing? Because it didn't affect Superman's lover", my magician friend asks.

Klarion finally became interested, "No? Who was affected?"

I haul him up, "Does it matter?"

The magician stuck in my grip had a look a revelation and he started laughing, "Don't tell me this was why Batman disappeared? That is hilarious..."

Zatanna's face became hard, sterner than I had ever seen, "Tell me what was the nature of the magic. I will remove it."

Klarion complied with a smile, telling her all that she had to know. Zatanna used her magic and everything was to have been returned to normal.

In my heart, I knew it wouldn't. Once gone, some things can never be returned as it was. My health was one of those things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * If you are wondering why Zatanna wasn't killed, it was because Superman's blessing to be loved by Batman kind of interfered. His blessing is stronger than his curse since a Goddess blessed him.
> 
> This part of the story is almost finished.  
> Next chapter, Bruce finally explains some things. And refuses to answer the rest.


	32. Wonder Woman-Collecting one's thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Bruce was clearly insane. Clark had done something truly evil. Could the Justice League survive? If it did, it was up to me to rally everyone and, for the first time in my life, I didn't want to be heroic."  
> -Diana

Gods and Goddess are very powerful.

I have spent much of my life redressing effects of a God's whims. I knew them. I honoured some; I despised others. Aphrodite had never been my favourite. Neither was she the worse, even if she loves my strongest foe, Ares. Nonetheless, there were not many things stopping me from attacking her for her 'gift'.

Her gift was a dark curse rotting my best friend's soul.

This had not been a plot to help Ares. She had sincerely wanted to help Superman.

I despise her.

Still, we teleport to the Watchtower without missing a beat. Still, life continues unerringly.

"J'onn," I yell in frustration. Oliver looks at me curiously and Hal, warily. Their world falls apart as fast as mine, though less intimately. They have things to do elsewhere. They have lovers that are still alive.

"Yes, Diana?" the Martian answers unperturbed as he glides in.

"It is as you thought. Superman didn't murder all of Batman's family on a whim. He was cursed by a well-meaning Goddess."

Oliver stops breathing. Hal stares at me. They had thought about it. They hadn't known it for certain before now.

Zatanna and Black Canary get teleported in.

"Pretty bird!", Oliver says.

"Ollie, where are Batman and Superman?"

Everyone is silent until Zatanna answers, "We got the curse off. Did you get the blessing off?"

Green Lantern nods, "Diana did it."

"Where are they?" I pursue with evident worry and anger.

Ollie, Hal and Dinah exchange glances nervously. Zatanna is the one that answers, "We left them together."

I stalk up to her, eyes blazing, "Where are they now?"

She shakes her head sadly, "They are no longer there."

I bristle at that, "He's going to kill him. We have to find them."

The others stare at me as if I'm crazy. Hal asks me, "Who is going to kill who?"

Before I can reply, someone teleport in the Watchtower. Someone using a green-powered ring. Someone with dark green hair and black eyes.

I know who he is even when he doesn't look like himself, if only because of the way his eyes sweep the floor.

He uses the ring to float to us, still observing us intensively.

J'onn is the first to speak, "Bruce, it is good to see you."

The other man only nods in his direction, still evaluating, as if wondering who is going to attack him first.

"Where is Kal?" I can't stop myself from asking him with a hint of accusation. Ollie lifts an eyebrow at my aggressive tone. The others look at Bruce and me, probably pondering my behaviour and Bruce's.

Bruce's face turns in my direction, "I sent him away for a while. I have some explanations to give before he comes back." With that, he floats away. The others slowly file toward the conference room. I feel J'onn's thought touching my mind, "Diana, what is wrong with Bruce and you?"

I shake my head, "Is it really Bruce?"

"Yes," he immediately responds.

"Have you looked at his mind?"

"He gave me the permission to verify his identity, nothing more."

This confirms my deepest fears.

"Let's go," I tell J'onn.

As we arrive in the conference room, everyone else, except Bruce, are sitting around the table. We also sit down at our spots.

The green-haired man fixes his eyes on each of us until they lock into mine. I see he finds me especially untrustworthy.

"I think it is better I give the explanations without Superman's presence."

None of us contest his decision.

Bruce continues, "Because of the curse and blessing affecting Superman, he murdered them all three years ago."

It was not unexpected. We had already drawn that conclusion, nonetheless, the confirmation still hurt. Superman...

"It would be better if you all avoided mentioning that episode to Superman. He does not know he did it," Bruce clarifies.

He's lying. Superman does know. He tried killing himself because of it, didn't he?

Why would Bruce lie about that?

"I am going to stay around, but I won't be Batman anymore," the green-haired man who had been a good friend announces, distantly.

"Why?" Green Lantern's cracked voice finally fills the silence.

Bruce only shakes his head and dryly repeats, "I can't be Batman."

Can't. Not won't.

There were so many possibilities. His body couldn't now do it. His mind wasn't in it anymore. His emotions were all over the place. Which one was it?

Nonetheless, it was a startling revelation.

I had always thought Bruce would rather die as Batman than retire. It was his life's goal, his obsession.

"Why not? You disappear for three years, come back as a Green Lantern and announce you are not coming back. What are you going to do then? Be a Green Lantern full time?" I challenge him.

His eyes glint in an unerring fashion, almost explosive with some feeling buried so deep in him nothing would reveal it to us. I can't find the name for it.

He breaths down, seemingly to centre himself in meditation.

"I threatened the Guardians into giving me a ring. I don't believe they will be happy I keep it."

"You what?!?" Hal exclaims.

Bruce impersonally continues, "I threatened them about six months ago to give me the green ring."

"How did you manage that?" Ollie asks arms cross and brows furrow in concentration.

"It was simple, really. I told them humans are... unpredictable, greedy and dangerous. They believed that."

"Of course. They think we are one of the most backward species ever known in the universe," Hal responds with some profound annoyance.

The man who once bore the name Bruce nods approvingly, "I threatened them by saying I would spark an intergalactic civil war in their more fragile district."

There was an awkward silence.

Did Bruce really threaten millions of lives just to have a ring?

Before the incident, he was known to use some highly dubious ways to achieve his purposes, however, I couldn't remember him doing something similar in scale to threatening millions of unrelated innocent lives to achieve his goal.

My friend would never have done so.

"Why would you go that far?" a deeply perturbed Ollie whispers.

The man pretending to have been my friend barely shrugs his shoulders, "I needed a green ring," as if the lives didn't matter if he could obtain his sought-after object.

Hal gawks at him. Zatanna stares at him unflinchingly. Dinah leans back, defeated. Ollie studies him with very astute eyes. J'onn...

J'onn simply looks at him sadly.

I don't know how I look. Probably shocked. Probably enraged and sad. I simply don't want to ponder this any longer.

"They gave me the ring," the monster named Bruce continues as if he was discussing the weather.

"Then, I helped them solve some issues in the district I had threatened civil war. I was gone for months to help them in exchange. They grounded Hal to Earth because they feared other threats may arise from here."

"Why did you need the ring, Bruce?" J'onn asks softly.

My once friend turns to him, "I needed it...because of Superman's curse. I knew anyone who learned of the curse, except me, would have to be killed by Superman."

"How did you know that?" Zatanna furrows her eyebrows.

The green-haired man closed his eyes, "You were out of town at that time. Constantine. I secretly went to see Constantine that night after it happened."

There was a silence.

"But he is still alive..."

The sombre man nods in return, "I don't know what he did exactly... He apparently escaped to another dimension and erased his own memory in some ways or another."

Zatanna takes a pensive pose, "That does explain his absence at that time..."

"You explained the green ring. What happened with the yellow one?" wary looking Ollie asks the floating man.

"That one was much easier. I simply asked Sinestro to give me a yellow ring and he did."

Threatening the Guardians without regret and easily fraternizing with villains... There was something deeply unhinged about the man who had been Batman.

"Where is your yellow ring now?" Hal pushes with concerns, probably thinking what I am thinking. Batman should never ever have a yellow ring in his possession. It would be too dangerous.

The green-haired man looks bored as he answers, "It was the task I gave Superman. To bring it back to Sinestro. I no longer have a need for it, now that the situation is resolved."

I exchange glances with Hal, worried this too might be a lie.

"Bruce," J'onn's soft voice interferes, "are you okay?"

This startles him out of boredom. Black eyes bore hard on J'onn, "Don't."

"I am simply concerned about your wellbeing, my friend. I sense you are deeply disturbed," J'onn says on a sad note. I take in the word choice. "Deeply disturbed". Bruce had always been that. Yet, J'onn seemed to mean Bruce was deeply disturbed compared to his normal grief-stricken and guilt-induced self before the incident.

"Don't," the monster floating repeats with power but in an emotionless tone.

Zatanna stands up, "I'm also worried about you, Bruce. Are you hurt?"

He does not even look at her. He simply turns to Hal, "I need to give you back the lantern and the ring to send back to Oa. I no longer have any use for it."

"Bruce," I call out, knowing he no longer is the man I once knew, "What happened to you in the past three years?"

He tilts lightly his head to his side, "I did what I do best. I planned ahead. I got a yellow and green ring. I became the head of the gang ruling Gotham."

The information he was giving us was but a trickle of what he had done. He wasn't giving much away.

"It did not take you three years to do that. It might have only taken you six months. Joker told us you almost killed him about six months ago. Was that true?" I demand.

His eyes contract, "I told you what I am ready to tell you now."

"It's not enough. You may have been compromised. We have to protect the League," I continue, anger in my voice.

That was the wrong thing to say. His face grows completely blank, "You did a remarkable job."

I flinch away. Superman got away with murdering all of Bruce's family. All of us had hints of something, yet we had all disregarded our own uneasy feelings on the matter, me especially. I was the Goddess of Truth and I had let the lie win.

"I have nothing else to say. I suggest we put an end to this farce," his black eyes stay emotionless as he says that.

Ollie warily passes behind Bruce with Dinah at his heels.

Zatanna gives a very long unreciprocated hug to Bruce, "I'm happy you are alive, Bruce." He pats her on the back and his expression softens.

J'onn gives him a simple gesture to welcome him back. Bruce nods in his direction.

Hal stares at him a long time before he heads to the exit. Bruce stops him, "Hal, I need to speak with Diana, but if you could wait at the teleportation room, I will give you the lantern and the ring after that." Hal nods hesitatingly before throwing me an uncertain glance as he heads out. He is being uncharacteristically quiet.

Finally, we are the only two in the room. He is floating an inch of the floor, looming menacingly, not that it impresses me much.

"You wanted to talk," the man states.

"I did," I answer with aplomb.

He crosses his arms over his chest, "Go ahead."

I take a deep breathe, "What are you going to do to Superman?"

He blinks once at me, waiting for more.

"Are you going to tear him apart for vengeance?"

"Why should I? He was forced to do what he did."

I feel the anger and fear swell in my chest, "That's a lie and we both know it. Superman may have been cursed and blessed to push him to do it. You still feel he is responsible."

The silence between the two of us becomes oppressive.

"Diana, what exactly are you asking me?" he answers almost softly if only to hide his impatience.

"Why did you come back? We resolved the matter of the curse and blessing. You no longer want to be Batman. You don't seem to want to see us or cooperate with us. Why are you here if not to torture Superman?"

He scoffs at that, "Despite your Lasso of Truth, there is not much of me you understand." It is probably true at that.

"I won't let you take revenge on him," I swear because I know how much revenge and guilt is part of Batman.

"Revenge. You really think I came back for revenge," he neutrally states.

"Why else? You almost killed Joker for something that was routine in your heyday. You threatened millions of lives to obtain a ring you barely used. You collaborated with Sinestro for almost no gain. You became a gang leader in Gotham like your own son Jason. You refuse to tell us what you did in the first two years and a half since your disappearance. I have no choice than to conclude you are insane and that you want revenge."

He shakes his head, black piercing eyes locked in mine, "Why don't you use your Lasso against my will again and ask me how you can help me? Or what's wrong with me?"

I take an involuntary step back, "I won't use the Lasso on you without your consent again. It was a mistake back then and I apologize for it. I want you to trust us and ask for help on your own. We want to help you."

"You have an interesting way of showing it," he answers back sadly. That stings.

There are too many obstacles for our friendship to return as it was immediately. It may be impossible.

He floats to the door and says, without turning around, "Loss and despair are not easy things to process. My judgment is not the only one you should be worried about being impaired."

There is a pause before he continues, "I am not proud of what I did in those two years and a half. I know I can no longer be Batman. Don't ask me more than I can tell you, Diana. We were friends, once. Even I remember that, Diana. I don't want to be your enemy, so don't make me yours."

At that, he exits the room, leaving me pondering his words. 

Bruce was clearly insane. 

Clark had done something truly evil. 

Could the Justice League survive? If it did, it was up to me to rally everyone and, for the first time in my life, I didn't want to be heroic.

I simply wanted my friends back.

Maybe Steve has a suggestion to help me solve this situation. I'll have to ask him tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a bit longer than my usual ones for this work. Next one will be shorter.


	33. Hal Jordan-Epilogue-Haunted House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce comes home.

Bruce had never been a close friend. I was never certain he actually believed I was his friend at any point in time.

Any way you looked at it, the trip back to Wayne Manor was awkward. Bruce did not speak a word and I wasn't in the mood to ask any of hundreds of questions I had in mind.

We land on the first steps of the abandoned Manor and I decide to let him open the door alone.

He takes a key from his clothes and delicately inserts it in the keyhole. With a click, the door opens.

The first thing I notice is the dust. I had never been formally invited to Bruce's home and the last time I came was three years ago, just after the 'incident'. No matter, I had heard enough about Alfred's prideful care for furniture and rooms. Nobody, especially not Alfred, had cleaned up the place since Bruce's disappearance it seems.

The man I could barely recognize floats further into the Manor. I walk slowly behind him, feeling as if I was intruding his private moment of communing with ghosts, yet uncertain if he should be left alone at this delicate moment.

I find him standing in front of a living room, cold and forbidden in his stance.

Without a word nor a gesture acknowledging my presence, he closes his eyes for a moment, either meditating or praying. As he opens them, the room fills up with green constructs, all life-like and human-sized.

I recognize some.

Damian and Tim are fighting while Dick is holding the youngest back from using a sword. Jason and Cass are talking to Barbara who is standing up without anyone's help. Alfred is serving drinks to Bruce's parents (whom I recognize because of the portrait hanging higher in the room). Another girl, probably Stephanie, is seemingly discussing with Seline Kyle.

I can only guess at the others constructs' identities. Some I vaguely recognize as having dated or befriended Bruce at one time or another (I think Vesper was her name?). Others I have no idea why they are there. He probably knew them in some capacity or another.

The only thing they have in common is they are dead. Yet, they are much more lively than either Bruce or me at this moment in time.

My throat constricts. This feels too personal for my liking. It also gives me a glimpse into his mind, something I have never wanted to see.

The constructs do not seem to notice us as if we were the ghost and they the living.

It is easy to understand, from this, that Bruce thinks the opposite of everyone else; the dead are animated and the living is inert. It makes sense in a strangely Bruce-like logic.

I avert my eyes away. I want to be anywhere else, but he was the one who asked me to follow him.

With a small movement, Bruce summons the lantern from somewhere near and it falls with a thud on the floor.

After a drawn-out moment, he takes off the ring and the constructs all vanish away, dust upon the floor.

He falls down on the chair behind him and I notice his limbs shaking out of control. I step forward, "Are you okay?"

He looks at me with unwarranted animosity and wariness, "I'm fine."

His movements are painful to watch. This explains why he desperately needed the rings, I suddenly think. It also explained why he was floating everywhere and not doing his usual ninja moves.

Still, I feel a stab of impatience, "You are not fine, you stubborn jerk. There is nothing "fine" about this situation." I gesture the room in a dramatic fashion. But it is true. There is nothing okay about his situation.

He simply stares accusingly at me, as if it was my fault I had to witness his weaknesses.

I rub a hand on my forehead, thinking of a solution. There was no way Bruce was fit to stay alone in his Manor. Without even considering his mental and emotional health, his physical health was not up to it.

Who could we turn for help? Family? From J'onn's explanations in the Watchtower after Bruce's, it seems that after losing his nine closest persons, he only has one cousin left and he wasn't close to her.

Friends? Did Bruce have any close friends except Clark or Diana?

After what happened between Bruce and Clark, it would be a bad decision to leave them alone.

I remember Diana's exchanging suspicious looks with Bruce in the Watchtower. Leaving him with her was not a good idea.

Sending Bruce to a hospice seemed a terrible idea, considering the number of enemies he had amassed over the years as either Bruce Wayne or Batman.

Who else was close to Bruce or Batman?

It hit me then and there.

Despite everything wrong between Bruce and Clark, Bruce had nobody else to turn to except the League. He had no other friends or relatives that would bridge his loneliness.

He had nobody to rely on except the League.

Diana may find his return suspicious, yet, if you thought about it logically, there was nothing for Bruce to return to except for us.

I exhale slowly as I feel his Batglare on me. Some things never change.

"Bruce," I say his name correctly and seriously, "Where are you going to live?"

"Here."

I stare at him with a lifted eyebrow and crossed arms. There was no way he could move easily in this gigantic home, "Why don't you come live in the Watchtower? You paid for its construction."

"No," he cut with a curt tone.

Patience, I tell myself, he has lost everything. I take another soothing breathe as I push back my hair, "Why not?"

He does not answer. Of course, he doesn't. He never answers to anyone. Not even after disappearing for a few years in a mad quest. He's Batman through and through even if he wants to pretend otherwise.

I'm known for my courage, not my patience.

"Bruce", I decide to change the subject, "Despite the impression Diana gave, we are all happy you are alive. And we want you to be safe. Is that understood? So no more weird stunts."

He tears his eyes away from me and looks at the hanging painting and orders, "Just take the ring and lantern and go."

Fine. I take the ring and I find no words to fill the silence. I probably saw too much to his comfort.

I slowly make my way out, knowing my presence is unwelcome. 

I will inform the others, except Superman, about his physical condition. He really shouldn't stay here alone. But he is too stubborn to change his mind immediately.

The least we can do is take turns visiting him to make sure he is "fine". He probably hasn't been "fine" ever since his parents' death, yet, we still had a responsibility towards him.

I shake my head as I fly away.

Bruce or Batman should not die from loneliness in the vast and cold Manor that was his reminder of all his losses. It would be too cruel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the ending does not exactly answer every question about Batman's disappearance. Nonetheless, this seemed a good way to break the story as the main "mystery" is resolved: Bruce is alive and Superman was the murderer. I planned another part or two to complete the story: the next being "Rehabilitation". It deals with how the Justice League copes with the aftermath of Bruce's return. I don't know when I will start that work. 
> 
> I also linked this story to the series "Obsession". I had wanted to finish the previous part before linking them together but even though I already wrote (but did not post) the last chapters of "A (Small) Grudge", I still have difficulty writing the middle part of the story. Nonetheless, the other parts of the series take place in the same universe but are not needed to understand this work (the more important reference about the previous work is found in the Wise Man chapter dealing with Lex Luthor). 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed my "mystery" writing attempt with this work. This work took a full year to write and post (I know I am slow).
> 
> Thanks for your support in the form of kudos, subscriptions and comments. They were all greatly appreciated.


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